Don't Take Forever
by gengarfamily
Summary: Contestshipping. Three regions, and three big steps. With old and new rivals, meddling relatives and a whole lot of jokes at Drew's expense, a follow up to the end of Battle Frontier for the coordinators we all know and love. C O M P L E T E.
1. Johto

**Johto**

* * *

 **The First Day**

* * *

"Look - oh look over here Drew!" Her voice lilted in that way it only did when something really caught her attention and gave her that giddy, effervescent excitement that he found annoyingly sweet. She climbed onto the railings of the ship, stood leaning out over the sea slightly, embracing the salt spray and the breeze that caught her hair. Her left hand was balanced neatly atop her head as she held her new bandana in place. The green suited her, he thought. Green matched her eyes nicely.

"What is it now," he asked tiredly, moving forward a little but feeling his stomach lurch. Perhaps not that shade of green. "Erp… just, er, tell me. I don't feel like going all the way out."

"You can see the port! We're nearly there Drew, we're nearly in Johto!" She jumped down from the railing carelessly and turned to her rival in concern. "Oh, are you still feeling sea sick? Is there anything I can do?"

"It'll pass." Drew tried to end the conversation there, as talking felt like it was tempting bile to travel up his throat. He gulped noiselessly at the thought. May hovered next to him awkwardly, dancing between forcing her help upon him and merely choosing to sit next to him quietly while he steadied himself. "It really will pass, May. You don't need to look at me like I'm about to leave this world."

"I'm sorry, I just… I just don't want you to feel sick" she said softly, almost sorrowfully, and he looked at her incredulously. Her eyes were big and blue and sad and he couldn't bare it when she looked at him like that because it was just so in her nature to get upset over the fact he was feeling unwell because every cell of her body was just built to be empathetic. Drew sighed, leaning back. May would be happier helping than leaving him in peace, and he just had to resign himself to that.

"If it's killing you, you can get me a bottle of water" he said meekly, and she beamed at him confidently, declaring how quickly and efficiently she would achieve her goal and - 'You can count on me!' - she had rushed away, even sprinted, probably running from vending machine to vending machine to find the bottle of water that had the most vitamins and added health bonuses that she could. May was a big believer in labels on food packaging, and claimed they never lied, and Drew didn't have the heart to tell her otherwise. A little time passed, and the boat kept up that lovely, inconsistent sway with the ocean that did such wonders for his comfort. Every rolling wave that hit the side of the ship sent a new shudder of nausea through his very core, and he wondered how long it would be before he vomited again. He'd managed to keep it private thus far, but he wasn't sure he'd be able to make it to his room without leaning over the side of the boat and emptying his stomach. May suddenly rounded the corner, presenting an icy cold water bottle with a fancy label on the side, grinning from ear to ear.

"It says it's got lots of iron and calcium dissolved into the water" May stated proudly. "You'll be feeling better in no time!"

"Thank you, May." He was too sick to mock her, and she picked up on that quickly, sitting next to him quietly and rubbing his back softly. Drew groaned, letting his head fall forward, feeling both numb and overly sensitive all at once, and the rest of the world faded into a dizzy haze with the only coherence being that blissful sensation along his spine. May hummed in his ear in a gentle, soothing tone, and suddenly he was being pulled upright and she was tucked under his arm.

"I'm going to put you back to bed, where you have a bucket available and another hour or so to sleep it off before we dock, okay?" Only able to moan weakly at her stopping the slow rubbing on his back, Drew staggered slightly in her arms, feeling terribly embarrassed that he was in this sort of state. With May of all people. May.

But as she took the key from his front pocket, and half carried him into his cabin and lay him down on the bed, he was suddenly so happy it was her that was with him. She was kind enough to untie his shoes and slip them off his feet, and tug his jacket away from him, and wrap the covers around him to keep out that chilly air that they would have to get used to in Johto. There was a bucket sat daintily next to his bed before he could even notice her shifting around the room, and her hand was suddenly grazing his shoulder blades again, working the sickness away with a gentle, warming touch.

"Thanks," he managed to mutter, and rolled over to face her. "I owe you." She blushed bright pink and smiled, and suddenly stroked his cheek in a tender, intimate way that made Drew suddenly feel very much more aware.

"No, it's fine" she whispered, and he was filled with this overwhelming desire to thank her properly. He struggled upright, looking her firmly in the eye, and she blinked, aware of his presence and suddenly unbearably shy. Drew began to shift forward slightly, his eyes flickering between her pretty blue eyes and the lips she was chewing nervously.

But then he fell back, over his bucket, and began to choke slightly on his own vomit as it poured from his stomach. May exhaled sharply, shaking herself awake, before resuming rubbing his back.

"Don't worry," she smiled, a little amused. "I won't tell anyone you threw up in front of me."

"I appreciate that" Drew groaned, his head suddenly pounding. "I've worked really hard to make people think I don't have bodily functions. You still got that water?"

* * *

May wasn't sure whether to bother him or not. He looked quite pale and withdrawn as he collected his Pokémon from Nurse Joy, a hangover of sorts from the sea sickness, and she knew better than anyone Drew could be touchy when he was in a bad mood. So instead, she just sat and watched as he headed for the lobby door, sat cross legged on one of the sofas as she organised her belongings a little before heading out herself. Drew had mentioned as they had checked into Olivine Pokémon Center the night before that he was headed straight for a contest somewhere called Mahogany Town, which was quite far from there and quite a time away - he didn't want to join her in Cianwood straight away, where she was headed, and now she'd seen his seasickness first hand she understood why. But it made her a little sad, somehow, to think she didn't have a definite idea of when she'd see him again until the Grand Festival (if they both qualified). At first, she was convinced he hadn't seen her, and busied herself with arranging her Pokeballs in the right order to keep her mind from straying and changing her mind. But it wasn't long until May heard a deliberate sort of clearing of throats, and she looked up sharply, feeling her eyes widen slightly.

Drew was looking at her with a smirk, leaning his weight on one leg and one hand loosely shoved in his pocket. Roselia was stood next to him, giving her an aloof sort of smile. May stood, leaving her bag to the side for a moment, returning his look. He nodded, hovering at the exit, like he wasn't quite ready to leave.

"Thanks for the water," he quipped, and she flushed a little. "I really felt the extra… what was it, calcium?"

"And iron" May filled in helpfully, and Drew rolled his eyes a little, sparing her a fond glance.

"Of course." He shut his eyes for a moment, chuckling. "Good luck in Cianwood."

"You too, in Mahogany" she replied brightly, giving him a grin that she didn't think could stretch any further. "When will I bump into you next?"

"When you stay on the mainland, for one thing" he snorted derisively, and she waggled an eyebrow teasingly. "Ah, don't worry May. I know you live for our next encounter, so I'm sure it won't be too long until you've stalked me down."

"That's not true! Hey!" May had begun to storm across to him, feeling her face heat up significantly at his implications, but just before she could come up with any kind of witty retort or expression of her rage, he'd placed a rose neatly under her nose, stopping her right in her tracks.

"Thanks for the water," Drew repeated, smiling sincerely, and May's face stayed hot for all new kinds of reasons she didn't really want to process in that moment. "I'll see you around. Soon."

While she watched him walk away, with Roselia looking back at her suggestively, May felt her grin stretch further.

* * *

 **The Third Ribbon**

* * *

The first thing May had discovered about travelling without any companions was how much quicker she could get to contests. No more was she bound by Ash's desire to get to the closest gym as competition for her own ambitions, and it was reflected by how many contests she'd actually been able to compete in since arriving in Johto. Convinced this was why Drew was always a step ahead of her in ribbons, May had felt a new surge of excitement as to besting him again this season and showing him what she was made of. She had won the contest in Cianwood with relative ease, and had the judges on their feet during her appeals. However, when she got back to Olivine and travelled around to Violet City, things hadn't gone as well. She'd picked up another ribbon in Cherrygrove, thanks to a well-timed evolution from her Squirtle, but really it had been a lucky win. After this she'd headed straight back up to Violet City and circled through Azalea Town, where she'd picked up another loss, and then up to Goldenrod, where she was desperately trying to pick up another ribbon. Somehow, this new style she'd been trying to discover with her Pokémon wasn't connecting particularly well, and her moves weren't flowing together like they used to as they adjusted to their only influence being her own. Her battling had always been so offensively based, and in trying to pull that back and change up her technique, she'd let ribbons slip through her fingers. It was nearly embarrassing, some of the losses she'd faced, and it felt like one disaster after another.

She'd skimmed through the appeals round with the help of Munchlax being brilliant and pulling off a fantastic solar beam that she hadn't even planned for - he'd saved her from a bad outcome, and she knew if she won this ribbon it wouldn't have been down to her skill as a coordinator but the sheer ingenuity of her Pokémon's autonomy. The battle rounds were going a little better though, with Blaziken making neat work of most of a much lower levelled series of opponents. Coordinators didn't always level up their Pokémon too well, something her main powerhouse was good at exploiting.

It was a few hours until the final, and May was just draining a can of some kind of energy drink when she saw him. Drew was stood in the corner of the locker rooms, looking across at her with a slightly smug expression, with folded arms and a raised eyebrow. A surge of relief caught her off guard - travelling alone hadn't been without its repercussions, and it had been awhile since she'd encountered a friendly face.

"Drew," May greeted, a little breathless from her drink, and he approached her, weaving past a trainer who had just lost to the coordinator May would face in the final.

"May" Drew replied coolly, offering her a hand to help her up. Gently, she took it, and they stood eye to eye for a moment, waiting for the other to say something first. It had been a few months, and they hadn't kept clear of each other so effectively since they'd met. "You seem a little off your game." He hadn't said it to rile her, but as a factual statement that May couldn't argue against.

"How many ribbons have you got?" She asked tiredly, not wanting to fall into that pitfall of a conversation, and he pursed his lips slightly.

"Three" his voice was blunt, and May shut her eyes for a moment before meeting his, and nodding, plastering a smile into place.

"Well, me too. Soon." May's voice was falsely optimistic, and Drew nodded, as though hopeful he could agree.

"Exactly."

* * *

It was a real relief when she did, actually win. Something about knowing he was watching let her up her game a little, and Blaziken had always reacted well to high pressure. The relief at matching Drew ribbon for ribbon left her a little breathless, but May was still happy to see him waiting for her at the end of the ceremony, leaning against a fence and watching as she approached, smiling that same cocky smile as she approached. They got food together, as May was starving, and Drew claimed Johto was so cold he had to keep eating regularly to keep the chill away. It was nothing spectacular, just a small fast food joint where the floor seemed slick with grease and the tables smelt fresh with disinfectant. They grabbed a couple of burgers, and May ordered extra onion rings and fries to go alongside it because goodness, how could she not, and they sat pleasantly together.

"So how many contests have you entered since getting to Johto then?" May asked cheerfully, between fries, feeling brighter with a third ribbon and a big pile of fried foods. Drew frowned, looking at her a little oddly.

"I told you, I have three ribbons. So three. This was your third contest, right?" Drew paused to drink from a bottle of water - he refused to get one of those disgusting slurpy fizzy drinks, he was too aware of the chemicals and the sugar and he wanted to keep as many brain cells as possible.

"No, I've had a couple of duds. This was actually my fifth contest in Johto" she replied, a little embarrassed, before taking a big mouthful of a burger to wave the conversation away. Drew groaned, rubbing his forehead slowly.

"You're rushing from one contest to the next without your old friends to pace you, aren't you?" He shook his head a little, and May flushed, nodding.

"Combine that with trying to work against being an offensive battler. I'm trying to change things up at the same time and it's creating loops I'm falling through" May admitted nervously, and he exhaled through his nose, giving her a curt nod.

"That's expected, I guess. I had a couple of loses in Kanto when I was first trying to think up something new" he admitted warily, and she looked at him with big eyes.

"You never told me that," May was a little surprised, but Drew shook her amusement off quickly.

"It's fine. This is all good practice" he told her confidently, and she paused, looking at her burger unsurely.

"I feel like it's not going to work" May admitted, a little sadly. "I'm not… I'm not very good without Ash telling me how my battling works best or Brock helping me with caring for my Pokémon or Max being…" she paused, frowning. "Well, Max was just sort of there. But he was from home at least. I dunno, I'm finding this hard."

"That's allowed." Drew looked at her strangely, smiling at her, and May felt a little cold air come through her lungs. He was looking at her in the same way he'd looked at her in Fennel Valley, sat in that contest hall when he was decoding what was going through her head in that analytical yet gentle way he'd picked up from somewhere. She remembered how surprised she'd been at his kind words, and his ease in picking her back up, and his hand brushing hers when the group had all stood together in the contest hall figuring out their next move. "You're allowed to find this season hard, May. You're on your own for the first time."

"I know" she said in a small voice, not wanting him to pick her apart just yet. "It's just… I know I don't even have a shot at the Grand Festival like this. It's not looking pretty, you know?"

"The Grand Festival is eons away. You have three ribbons, so you're in a really good position right now" he told her firmly, and May blinked at him. "You just need something to shake your perspective. You're using the same Pokémon you used in Hoenn and Kanto, aren't you? Did you leave yourself any space to catch new Pokémon here in Johto?"

"Well, no" May replied, frowning a little. "No, I didn't. I've got Blaziken, Beautifly, Eevee, Munchlax, and my Bulbasaur and Squirtle both evolved into Wartortle and Venusaur."

"That's a pretty difficult contest team to work with when you're working on a new style, May" he told her pointedly. "You've got a lot of big hitters there, and you're trying to move away from an offensive style. Maybe you need to change the structure of your team to work with a new style."

"You could be right" May replied evenly. "I… yeah, you could be right, that could really work in my favour."

"I think it could too." Drew agreed, nodding. "As for… well, I know it's lonely."

"I've got my Pokémon" she said hastily, ducking her head. "How can I be lonely?"

"Because you haven't seen Solidad or Harley since getting here. I know, because I saw them a week ago" he filled in, trying not to laugh. "You've never been to Johto before. It's a big, cold, and lonely place to be sometimes."

"I have been to Johto before" she replied hotly, crossing her arms. "I grew up here!"

"You grew up in Johto?" Drew logged that somewhere as new information.

"Yes - my Dad spent a lot of time training with Whitney, the normal type gym leader here. We spent most of our time with Professor Elm in New Bark Town though. I think I was seven when we moved to Petalburg, Max was only four and he doesn't really remember it" May explained lightly, tracing her fries with her finger. "I liked Johto. I preferred Hoenn, and being in Petalburg and the lovely hot weather, but I liked Johto."

"That doesn't necessarily mean you wouldn't be lonely though" he pointed out briskly. "You're allowed to admit it."

"It's just a little quiet sometimes" May mumbled timidly. "That's all." She hid her face behind her drink for a moment, letting the loud suction noise of her draining the last of her lemonade fill the lull in conversation. Drew glanced at her occasionally, looking up from where he'd focused his eyes on a little spot on the table.

"You're not doing so good, huh?" He finally broke the awkward gap, and May gave him a slightly defeated sigh in return.

"No" she admitted softly. "I dunno, Drew. I dunno what to tell you."

"It'll get better" he tried to tell her, but May shook her head a little, smiling weakly.

"I don't want you to pity me" she told him firmly, rearranging the empty packets of food in front of them so they'd be easy to dispose of. "I'm alright, really. I'll change up my team like you said. And I'll figure out something to get my head straight eventually. I just… yeah. I'll be okay."

"I don't have any doubts I'll face off against you in the Grand Festival." Drew expected her to chime in with her usual optimistic grin and for her to claim she'd take him down, or see him there, or something to that effect. Instead though, she shrugged with a watery smile.

"That'd be nice" she said softly, and Drew felt his stomach plummet. They left together, walking side by side in relative silence. Goldenrod was a pretty city, May always thought, with its towering buildings and amber hues. It was particularly beautiful in the autumn, where the colours just seemed to sit right, and the trees that paved the main walkways became the city's namesake. It wasn't a long walk to the Pokémon Center, where they'd wordlessly agreed they were walking, but they kept a slow pace. The city was winding down, and the sun was hitting that sweet spot in the sky where it gave everything a rose coloured blush. The streets were emptying, but they'd fill again soon with nightlife and excitement.

"I like Goldenrod" Drew announced, slightly offhand. May looked at him with a quirked smile. "What? It's very beautiful. It has the life of La Rousse but without being so sterile. La Rousse makes me think of one big open air hospital."

"Must have been fun to grow up there, though" May replied measuredly. "I mean, the battle tower, and those fun moving sidewalks… I bet it was a great place to be a kid."

"It was okay." Drew shrugged, a little unenthusiastic. "I didn't really care for it."

May was about to ask him to elaborate, suddenly intrigued at the opportunity to know a little more about him, when their conversation was cut off by one of those intrusively loud billboard advertisements that splintered their conversation. They each looked up at it, immediately irked by the interruption, when a crackly voice came from a speaker of sorts and told them all about a contest coming up in Sinnoh.

" **This year's Wallace Cup has finally been announced**!" The billboard blared across the city. " **At the beautiful Lake Valor in the Sinnoh Region, we see the interregional contest return**!"

"So it's in Sinnoh this year, huh?" Drew glanced at May, to see her eyes had suddenly focused in a way he hadn't seen since she beat him in Kanto, and her fists balled up by her sides. "May?"

" **As ever, the Wallace Cup Ribbon is redeemable in every Grand Festival being held this year, so don't let your region stop you from entering! A contest of real prestige and honour, please make your way to Sinnoh now! Airports in Sunyshore City and Jubilife City, or Boat Terminals in Snowpoint City and Canalave City, are ready to make your acquaintance**!"

"You're thinking about it," he said, in a low, knowing voice, smiling to himself a little. "Aren't you?"

"I read an article" May replied, only half paying attention to him. "There was… there was an article in some magazine I read in a Pokémon Center lobby, about Eevee evolutions that react to certain places in Sinnoh."

"Evolving Eevee would be a good way to start changing your team a little" Drew agreed, still smiling, although more to himself. "Eeveelutions are all very different though. So think about it carefully."

"Mmm" she hummed back, still not quite listening. "Ash and Brock are in Sinnoh. It would be nice to see them."

"Sure would." There was a slightly harder edge in Drew's tone this time, and she turned to him quickly.

"Are you going?" May was suddenly focused in on him in a way he'd not anticipated. His lips quirked into a small smile, and he shook his head slowly.

"There's a contest coming up in Ecruteak - I know Solidad and Harley will both be there" he explained softly. "But I think you should go. I think it would do you some good to… wake yourself up."

"I've never been to Sinnoh before" May told him bluntly, her eyes a little nervous. Drew gave a low, long chuckle that warmed the pit of her stomach. "I haven't. It's bad enough being here on my own, let alone somewhere totally new." Pausing, he gave her a funny smile.

"Go to Sinnoh. If you evolve Eevee, great, if not, when you get back I'll meet you. And I expect you to tell me all about what you've learnt and what you're going to do to change things up" Drew told her firmly, and she flushed, giving a shy nod. "Now, let's go to the Center and we can look up those evolution options you mentioned."

"O-Okay" May nodded, allowing him to lead the way back. "Drew - I've gotta say I'm surprised. I mean, I know you're not the total dweeb you were back in the day anymore, but I never expected you to… well, directly help me this much. I mean, you kinda did after my battle with Solidad but that was different and… I mean, you know what I mean right?"

"It's not very nice to say I was a total dweeb when I'm being so pleasant" Drew snorted, grabbing her arm to pull her out of the way of someone she was about to walk into. Embarrassed, she thanked him quietly. "Plus, dweeb might be the most juvenile comment I've ever heard from you. I just want to make sure when I beat you it's because I'm better than you and not because you're not on your game."

"You sound pretty sure you'd beat me" May challenged quietly, smiling a little as they walked side by side. Drew gave her a sidelong look, smirking.

"There you are."

* * *

"I know I said I'd help you with all this," Drew said slowly, almost in a drawl. His head was resting against the wall behind him, with his eyes rolled shut and his arms folded, perched on what a passer-by had referred to as the 'boyfriend chair', which irked him. "I know I did. I really meant it May, I honest to Mew did."

"Well that's nice of you to remember, Drew" May called from inside a stall, a silvery curtain separating the two. He could hear her shuffling around, tossing clothes about chaotically and the curtain bulged as she caught it, and he flushed as he realised one wrong move and she'd be somewhat exposed.

"Where I was going with that, was that I really did not think that involved going shopping with you" he told her gruffly, shrinking into his jacket a little.

"Huh, I guess you were wrong there!" May chimed back, pulling the curtain away dramatically. "Is this a yes a no or a maybe?" Drew blinked, but couldn't deny she looked pretty. She'd pulled her hair into a messy bun on the top of her head to make changing easier, and had a knee length blue dress that cut nicely around her collarbone in a rounded neckline. There was a white sash around the middle, and simple blue shoes with no heel and an open toe. She looked pretty. But it wasn't a particularly new kind of pretty.

"You'd struggle to move around," he pointed out briskly. "It's quite close cut around the knees."

"You're right," May agreed, looking down and shifting her weight from one foot to another, testing the movement restriction. "For someone with such bad taste in clothes, you're pretty good at this."

"What do you mean, bad taste in clothes?" He sat upright, offended, as the curtain slid shut again.

"Oh come on Drew!" Her voice was a little muffled from pulling the dress over her head. "Aqua pants? I would say something like 'oh, the seventies called they want their colour scheme back' but I wouldn't want to offend the seventies, or any other time period, with that kind of abomination."

"Is this a widely shared opinion?" Drew suddenly felt very self-conscious. He liked his trousers. They were comfortable, and they had travelled well, and the pockets had just the right amount of depth. He was as emotionally attached to them as someone could really get to a pair of trousers.

"Solidad and I spent half our time at the Kanto Grand Festival giggling about it" May replied, a little apologetically, though not enough that she actually sounded guilty. "If you're worrying about it, when I'm done why don't we shop for you?"

"I like my trousers" Drew replied, in a bit of a sulk. "I don't need new ones."

"Well there's no harm in looking, now is there?" He could almost hear her rolling her eyes. "Can you help me zip this up? I can't reach the back of it."

"Is that… entirely appropriate?" Drew dodged, suddenly very nervous about seeing May in any kind of state of undress.

"Oh it's just the top of my back, you're a big boy Drew you can handle it." May calling him out a little was enough of a motivator, and Drew shakily pulled the curtain back, only to pause. She had a pretty, amber coloured skirt that flared out from her hips, and a cropped shirt, though still slightly unzipped, with beaded designs on the front, with a shimmery veil that covered her face and shaded her shoulders in an orange glow. The colours reminded him of sunsets, and sunsets reminded him of May. Quietly, he let his fingers find the zip, and couldn't resist letting his finger brush the top of her spine. It was innocuous enough to be passed off as an accident, and he was sure the blush in his ears would convince May that's all it had been. She gave him a shy, teeth biting lip smile, silently asking his opinion. The skirt swished about her knees, loose layered, like it would catch in a breeze. There was a little fake emerald on the top of the veil, and his heart thudded a little as it caught the light and brought out her eyes.

"I reckon this is good" he mumbled, a little apprehensive about using words at that point. May's face lit up, turning to the mirror with a big grin.

"You think? I think so too!" She burbled, twisting her feet in the little flat shoes she'd found to match them. "And it's very easy to move in. I just love the colour, the faded burnt orange thing is so pretty, right? And the little veil, it's adorable. I know I'm gonna blow everyone in Sinnoh away!"

"Yeah, I reckon you'd do well in super contests. They've got the right kind of style for you. A little flashy, but same basic idea." He nodded at her, ducking out of the changing room and returning to his seat. "I'll make sure I watch."

"I'm looking forward to it" May smiled, a little shyly. "Although, er, I do need your help with… unzipping it again?" Drew looked up at her with a pained, cornered look that only left her to giggle.

* * *

 **Olivine Port**

* * *

May had tried really hard to have her eyes calm down a little before she got to Olivine Port, she really did. She tried everything. Dawn had told her during their mock sleepover that she sometimes used tea bags and rested them over her eyes for a few hours, but May tried that and they just fell off a lot and stained her eyelids a weird muddy colour, so she had to plaster on a few layers of foundation to cover it up. She drank lots of fluids and splashed her face with ice water and slept as best she could but as she passed her reflection in a dark window on her way through the port, she knew her eyes were still puffy and bloodshot. It was irritating, more than anything. Everyone around her knew.

Drew was waiting for her, as he'd promised he would, sat cross legged in the lobby of the port. He was wearing the dark jeans they'd picked out together in Goldenrod. She wondered if she could distract him, just tease him about how limited his consciousness had been the last time they had been there together and hope he wouldn't mention anything, but she saw the way his eyes sharpened when he locked onto her, and the way he stood in a deliberate, gruff way. She felt her shoulders drop and her eyes prick a little, but blinked quickly.

"You've been crying." It wasn't a question, but a factual statement, as he stood opposite her and looked her up and down as she stood meekly before him. May inhaled deeply, blinking again, but then looked him straight in the eye and nodded.

"Yes." Her reply was blunt and unwavering. Drew frowned, giving a bit of a sigh.

"Well. You shouldn't have been" he grunted, craning his neck to look the other way. "Come on, there's a diner near the coast I got coffee from earlier. I have no idea how the food is but the coffee was really good."

"That sounds nice" May gave him a meek smile, and he softened. "How was Ecruteak?" They fell into an easy rhythm, walking at a natural pace for them both, enjoying the morning sun.

"It was… it was a learning curve" Drew admitted awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "Solidad and Harley both entered, so it was tougher than the other contests I'd been in this season. Harley beat Solidad - which I'm still kinda freaking out over - and then lost to this girl in the semi-finals, who then turned around and beat me in the finals."

"No way." May paused in the street for a moment. "All three of you lost?"

"Yeah - flattened actually" Drew continued, holding a single finger to his temple. He liked Olivine City a little more now he was enjoying it as someone who had been on land for an extended period of time. The air was salty and fresh, and the walk along the promenade by the main beaches was pretty. "Her name was Marina or something. Scary strong. Local to Johto too."

"Well, I guess she's one to look out for" May mumbled, a little unsure. "I'm sure she'll crop up at the Grand Festival." They'd found themselves in front of the diner Drew had mentioned, and he held the door open for her. The smell of ground coffee beans and pancakes greeted them, and May was instantly at ease.

"Without a doubt" Drew agreed. They took a booth, facing each other, and glanced through the menus out of courtesy. After making the trip from Hoenn to Johto together, they were very familiar with each other's breakfast orders. A waitress darted around a few chairs to reach them, skirting through them effortlessly. Her hair was bright red and piled on top of her head neatly, and her lipstick seemed to match it exactly.

"Morning folks! You're both up very early!" She greeted happily. May offered her a smile.

"She just got off the overnight ferry from Sinnoh" Drew filled in. "Don't think for a second she ever gets up this early, ever."

"That's completely untrue!" May scowled. "You're making me out to be all lazy and incapable of functioning."

"Yes, yes I am" Drew agreed, barely looking up from the menu. "She'll get the pancakes with the pecha berries, and a white coffee with a disgusting amount of sugar."

"Yeah, well he'll get the omelette with mushrooms and a black coffee because he doesn't have a soul or understand how breakfast food works." May stuck her tongue out at him childishly, and he rolled his eyes.

"I'm going to presume that your immature behaviour is a result of limited sleep on the ferry, and not actually a representation of your character, although I should know better." Drew gathered up their menus and passed them to the waitress with a polite smile. "That'll be everything, thank you."

"You guys are the cutest couple" the waitress cooed, taking the menus from him with a bright grin, and the two coordinators flushed a matching shade of crimson instantly. They froze in their seats, watching the other for some kind of reaction, but by the time one of them had thawed enough to deny it, the waitress had fluttered away with a squeaky giggle.

"Agree never to mention that again?" Drew quirked an eyebrow. May nodded eagerly.

"Agreed." May knotted her fingers together under the table, a little subdued.

"So how was the ferry?" He asked lightly, tapping his own fingers against the table.

"It misses you, Drew" May replied sombrely, putting a hand over her heart. He rolled his eyes. "No, really. It was calling out to you. It was weeping, heartbroken. It really thought you two shared something special, and that you weren't the kind to just throw up on the deck and leave - but I had to break the bad news and I don't think the ferry will ever be the same again."

"You need help" Drew deadpanned, leaning back in his seat. "Professional. You need your head examined."

"Late at night, all I could hear was the dull, morose cry of the fog horn, bleating out to the empty ocean. Drew, Drew, Drew…" May wrinkled her nose, dropping a little of her dramatic facade, and Drew arched an eyebrow.

"Are you sure that wasn't you, so desperate to see me again? I can hardly blame you for hallucinating about me May, I know how vital I am to your existence" Drew quipped. May scowled.

"You talk too much." Their conversation was cut short by the same waitress from earlier bringing them two steaming mugs, placing them neatly in front of them.

"Two coffees!" She chirped, passing May a small milk jug and a small bowl of sugar. "I didn't know how much sugar your boyfriend meant, so I just brought the bowl."

"Oh - Drew - he's really not my boyfriend!" May burbled quickly, waving her hands in the air. "We- we're just friends. Really."

"Oh!" The waitress looked a little taken back for a moment, before laughing. "Oh, I see. Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me!"

"No, really..." May tried to continue, but she was already gone again. "Aw man…"

"Well done on convincing basically everyone in the diner we're involved May" Drew nodded, sarcastic. "Job well done. Be proud. I would give you a gold sticker if I had one."

"Bite me" May growled, pouring a large amount of the contents of the sugar bowl into her mug. He smirked, pursing his lips a little.

"Well that would just make them think even worse things about us" he muttered suggestively, snickering, and May felt every pore on her body burn red.

"D-Drew! That's so inappropriate!" She squeaked, and he shrugged, sipping his coffee.

"It's a shame you don't have a sense of humour. You'd be much more fun." His words fell flatly between them, as May was too busy anxiously stirring her coffee to look at him. Sighing, he looked down himself. "Are we going to talk about it then?"

"I lost. Nothing more to talk about." She took a big gulp of her coffee, which was really more sugar and milk than anything else. He gave her a pointed look.

"Did you see Ash and Brock?" Drew asked lightly. "Actually, I know you saw Ash, I saw his Buizel. He isn't really made for contests, is he?"

"He did okay, considering" May laughed a little. "It was nice to see them. Seeing Brock again was like seeing one of my parents, he knows all the right reassuring things to say. And I met Dawn - the girl who beat me, she travels with them now. She's super nice, and she'd been going through a tough spot herself, so it was nice to see her get her confidence back. And I met one of her rivals, Zoey. They've got this really nice sibling rivalry kinda vibe going on, it's sweet."

"So Dawn beat you" Drew noted, taking another sip of his coffee. "Is she an experienced coordinator?"

"This is her first season, but her mother was a top coordinator, so she knows her stuff…" May explained lightly, chewing on the inside of her cheek a little. "She's really good."

"So are you. Your Glaceon is very beautiful, and your appeal and battling were much better than the last contest I saw from you" Drew commented sagely. May nodded, smiling.

"I know. It felt better." She looked at the table studiously, not wanting to meet his gaze. Drew frowned.

"So she beat you, May." Drew shrugged. "You've lost before. It was close, and you had her on the ropes a few times. It was a good battle. No shame in losing a battle when it's a good one."

"I guess" May shook her head from side to side a little, before looking up at him with a big smile. Drew relaxed. "So you think Glaceon was the right choice?"

"Definitely. You can do a lot with ice type moves in a contest, and it'll give you a lot of new type advantages" he encouraged, and her smile lifted. "Have you thought more about the rest of your team?"

"Well, Blaziken and Beautifly are staying, as is Glaceon obviously" May furrowed her brow as she spoke. "Venusaur, Wartortle and Munchlax have all gone home. And Mom transferred me Skitty - I have a few ideas for Skitty that could go somewhere with Glaceon. And I want to catch a new Pokémon, maybe a flying type or a psychic type… something I haven't quite decided on yet, I guess."

"That sounds like a really sensible idea" Drew agreed, nodding, and May relaxed at his approval. "Beautifly is your best appeals Pokémon, in my opinion, and Blaziken can lend you the muscle for some of the battle rounds. Glaceon has a lot of potential, and I'm looking forward to seeing your new ideas with Skitty."

"We'll see" May giggled a little, and the waitress reappeared, placing food in front of them deftly.

"Here ya go guys, enjoy your meal!"

* * *

 **The Final Ribbon**

* * *

The Blackthorn City contest was well attended. It was the last contest of the season, so May was quite anxious to pick up her final ribbon. Without it, she would miss the Grand Festival, and she would have let her Pokémon down, after they had worked so hard. She had a feeling Drew had snuck into the crowds, not letting her know because he didn't want to throw her off, but she felt his watchful gaze as she stepped out into the arena, letting her Delcatty bounce out in front of her eagerly. They presented to the crowd, overflowing with keen spectators, and she couldn't help but scan the crowd for a flash of green, but it was invisible if it was there.

A combination of double team and echoed voice filled the arena with a beautiful, harmonised song that looked like it was coming from a choir of Delcatty, and the audience were entranced, just as May had hoped. She received high praise from the judges, and high marks too, and when she returned backstage she could only give off a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. It had gone very well, and it was unlikely she wouldn't make it through to the next rounds. She could relax, for the time being. Watching the other appeals was always one of May's favourite parts of contests. Not only did she get to see lots of different Pokémon showing off lots of different styles, but sometimes something would pop out at her as a really good idea, and she could go away and try and figure out how to put her own spin on it. It was a good way of expanding her combinations, and they often relayed nicely to battle moves if she thought about it enough. But this time, every appeal she watched, she was scanning the audience on the grainy backstage television. Really, she knew she should have been watching her competition, but she was curious, and he had a habit of showing up and watching her contests when he had nothing else to be doing.

The interval passed without much excitement, and she was announced to have passed into the next round with ease. The battle rounds were a good opportunity to test out her Glaceon paired with Blaziken, which was a combination she was excited about. Fire and ice looked beautiful together. Beautifly had won her last ribbon, and then her new Pokémon wasn't quite contest ready - but she was confident by the time the grand festival rolled around she'd be more than ready. As the pairs were announced, she felt a little lump swelling in her throat. Not in this round, perhaps, but someone else was in the contest and she'd been so distracted during the appeals she hadn't even noticed. Her name was illuminated under the picture of a pretty, pale girl with tufts of light blue hair. Marina. Panic began to set in, and she glanced around the room to spot her. Marina was in the first battle round so she made sure to watch carefully - her Bayleef and Xatu made a terrifyingly gorgeous pair. She'd nicknames them along the way; the Bayleef she'd called Megaree and the Xatu was Xatee. They battled offensively, too, with clever combination moves that May had never even thought of before, psy waves and petal dances combining into a whirlpool of petal dance that filled the arena and took out opponents with ease. May was instantly strategizing. Maybe if she combatted it with Blaziken's overheat… but it would take more than brute strength to knock it back, so maybe Glaceon's blizzard could change the direction of it and add to the moves. But she wasn't sure if psy wave was there as an added defence to avoid that, and she would just get sucked into it, or add to the power that was coming against her. It was risky, but all she could think to do if it was used against her. May bit her lip, anxious to the core. If Drew was in the audience, and she beat Marina, she knew she would have proven to him, and to herself, she'd bounced back, and she really was ready to take them all on in the Grand Festival.

The battle ended, and Marina won. When she came backstage, May watched her. She moved with a natural kind of grace, and dropped herself onto a bench nearby with a puff of breath. Steeling herself, May approached her, tucking a stray bit of hair into her bandana nervously.

"Marina?" May's voice wobbled a bit. The girl looked at her, a little startled, but smiled brightly and stood to greet her, and they shook hands politely. "Sorry, my name is May, I'm from Hoenn. I just wanted to congratulate you on your battle, you're incredibly strong!"

"Oh, that's really sweet of you May!" Marina smiled brightly, her easy going grin throwing May off a little. "I really liked your appeal. Everyone goes for visual appeals these days so it's refreshing to see someone is thinking outside the box. Are you going to be competing in the Grand Festival?"

"Well, if I win today. I'm pretty sure everyone here has four ribbons though!" May blinked, a little confused. "Don't you?"

"Oh no, I got my fifth ribbon months ago!" Marina giggled. "I'm just practicing. Like you said, most of the coordinators here have four ribbons, so it's a good practice run!"

"Oh" May nodded, biting her lip a little. "Hey, I don't know if you remember performing in an Ecruteak contest ages ago, but you beat out a lot of my friends that day and you really left an impression!"

"Ohhh, yeah I remember Ecruteak - that was my fifth ribbon!" Marina smiled, nodding. "The guy in the final really gave me a run for my money though. What was his name again…? He had this bright green hair and I overheard him arguing with someone backstage about aqua pants…"

"Oh, that's Drew!" May snickered, the image of him arguing with Solidad and eventually changing too funny to be ignored by her nerves. "He's a big dweeb."

"Hey, looks like you're up!" Marina nodded to the match up board, and May pursed her lips, glancing at her.

"I'm not going to lose to you, Marina. I have a lot to prove to someone, and I'm going to do that by winning here. And then I'll take you on in the Grand Festival, and I'll win there, too." May promised. Marina blinked, a little taken back, but tilted her head back with a knowing smile. "I'm not going to be intimidated by the fact you beat my friends. Because I've a different style to them, and I'm not going to be easy."

"I'm looking forward to it," Marina smiled, clearly meaning it. "I've never lost a contest before. It would be nice for you to challenge that."

"Watch me." May turned on her heel and began to walk forward, her fists a little clenched. "But - er, oh!" She paused and turned her head, concealing a smile. "It doesn't mean I dislike you. It's nice to put a face to the name, and you seem really nice."

"Go battle, May" Marina laughed openly, waving to her as she ran forward to the arena entrance, a little mystified.

* * *

Drew pursed his lips. The match was going well for May, and she beat her opponent in the semi-finals with ease. She was still battling offensively, and it was no longer reserved by doubt. But it did have this caution to it, a finesse and a moment of pause now and then to allow her fellow competitor to move forward and allow her to counter their moves deftly, knocking them back with barriers or reversals. It was clever, and tactical, and he was reassured to see it. But there was something in wait, he could tell from when the camera focused in on her face and it flashed up on the big screen overhead. Her fists clenched and unclenched quickly, like they did during their battle in Kanto where she unveiled her water and fire combination that knocked him back. With a smile, he wondered if she'd thought something up just for Marina. It wouldn't surprise him. The huge smile she used to have after winning a match was gone, he noticed. Her face was harder, and knotted in concentration. Nerves were emanating from her like she was shivering, they were almost visible.

"I can see what you meant," Solidad mumbled from next to him, leaning forward. "She's… not herself."

"I don't think she has been all season." Drew folded his arms as he spoke, leaning back in his seat. "The boat trip over from Hoenn, she was herself. But then next time I saw her she was really struggling. And then when she got back from Sinnoh… yeah, I'm worried."

"Have you spoken to her about it?" Solidad glanced across at him. "I mean, I'm still surprised neither Harley nor I have even crossed paths with her all season."

"Briefly, not to the point where she's really talked about it" he replied softly. "I think she's lonely, though, without her friends."

"And if she's lost a few contests, she won't have had anyone to bounce those doubts off, so they'll just have been sat with her." Solidad pulled a sympathetic face, tilting her head as the finalists came out. Marina and May. "Well, if Marina wins and May isn't in the Grand Festival, at least we're here for this loss."

"I don't know," Drew paused, tilting his head a little as he watched her. "I think she has something up her sleeve. Something seems a bit different today."

"You do seem to watch her very closely," Solidad observed dryly, and Drew shot her a look.

"Stop with your absurd theories. She's a good friend." He narrowed his eyes at her as he spoke, trying to defuse the colour in his ears, but Solidad just gave a short, bark of a laugh and ruffled his hair.

"You're adorable. I'm glad to see you caring about someone like this. You've become a much nicer person though knowing May." She gave him a sidelong glance, and Drew puffed out a huffy breath. "Well, at least, you're much nicer to her than you are to any other big rivals you've ever had."

"I've never had any other big rivals" Drew scowled. "You, maybe. But you're different. May is…"

"I know, Drew." They caught each other's gaze for a moment, her interruption making him feel incredibly uncomfortable, and they watched the two coordinators call out their Pokémon. "I'm excited to see Glaceon in person. When we watched the Wallace Cup I was really impressed."

 **This is a battle between May of Petalburg City and Marina of Violet City! The battle will be two on two, and lasts five minutes, starting now!**

"Mm, same" Drew agreed. The battle started as most of Marina' battles had started in that competition, with a setting up of basic defences, of light screens and defensive walls being built by the two Pokémon, layering and stacking. Solidad winced, watching May pause and think. They were both taken back by the shout of a laugh that came from their friend, steeling herself and grounding her feet into the arena floor.

"Blaziken, use brick break on Bayleef!" May ordered, sweeping her hand across as she spoke. "Take out all of those barriers. And then Glaceon, follow up with a shadow ball and iron tail combo on Xatu!"

Blaziken drove through the barriers, which flashed and turned to beautiful sparkles around him as he charged forward, his arm glowing as he disintegrated the blocks between them. Glaceon charged a shadow ball and tossed it up in the air, following it with an iron tail that blasted it forward, chasing Blaziken through the lights, sneaking up on the psychic bird while Blaziken knocked Bayleef backwards.

"So Blaziken learnt brick break, very useful for breaking down defensive battles" Solidad smiled with a hint of approval, crossing her legs over. Drew grinned, sitting forward a little.

"Her battle style has changed. It's still very offensive, but it's much more thought through" Drew commentated, and Solidad agreed with a low hum.

"Maybe she has struggled this season," she acknowledged, wrinkling her nose. "But it's paid off in her battling. And after all her losses, now she's battling like she's proving something."

"She's never needed to prove herself" Drew muttered quietly, and Solidad looked at him with shining eyes. "What? She hasn't."

"Oh but she did, Drew" Solidad gave a tinkling laugh. "When you two first met? She had to prove herself to you, didn't she?" Drew paused, frowning, but then turned back to the contest. "In fact, if I know May, I bet she wants to do this to show you she's taken on your advice, and that she's working hard."

"She doesn't know I'm here" Drew countered, blinking a little, but Solidad just snorted a laugh.

"I bet she does."

* * *

 **The points are even, and there are only fifteen seconds left on the clock! Whoever lands the next big move will win the Blackthorn Ribbon!**

"Alright May, no time to think. What are you going to do?" She was coaching herself under her breath, as she had been through most of the match. Marina had started the match relaxed, with her weight on one leg and was somewhat careless in how she ordered her moves, but over the course of the battle her feet had become planted in the ground and her back arched forward, a grit in her eyes that May knew meant she had surprised her. Bayleef was looking weaker than Xatu, and Xatu was harder to hit with his ability to dodge with the whole field. But Marina would be expecting that.

Before she had a chance to decide a move, Marina called for her psy wave and petal dance combination, and May knew she had no choice. Bayleef and Xatu built up a huge wall of glistening pink petals, twisting in a periwinkle gust of wind that twisted it around into a beautiful swirl of light. It reminded her of Dawn's whirlpool attack in a way, which gave May a really sudden, bright spark of an idea she had completely forgotten about.

"Glaceon, move into the petal storm and use mirror coat!" May called forward quickly. "Blaziken, lend Glaceon a hand by pushing it back with the biggest overheat you can give it!"

As Glaceon glowed with a silvery, shimmering light, and began to absorb the power of the attack, May knew it was a risk. If the attack was too strong, Glaceon would be knocked out and they would lose instantly, but she trusted that her Glaceon would hang tough for her - after all their training together, all of her Pokémon wanted it just as much as she did. Glaceon let out a loud cry as she absorbed the power of the attack, and her knees looked like they might buckle as Blaziken's flames wrapped around the petals and absorbed the psy wave that had previously worried May, instead creating a swirl of petals coated by searing hot embers that she recalled from her battle with Drew in Fennel Valley, carrying to momentum of the psy wave that gave it the beautiful spiral she'd wanted.

"Go!"

The attack charged forward, and Glaceon flipped backwards out of the firing line, light shining as it left her body. The attack wove its way forward, knocking back both Xatu and Bayleef in one swift drop.

 **Time is up! And the winner of the Blackthorn City Contest is May Maple from Petalburg City!**

Marina was shell shocked, from the look of things, her eyes blank with surprise. It only lasted a second though, and she ran forward to check her Pokémon and make sure they were alright. Bayleef crawled into her lap as she knelt on the ground, and Xatu was bundled under her arm weakly, crowing apologetically. Marina shushed them both, telling them quietly they had both done extremely well and they should be proud, before she returned them to their pokeballs to watch May squealing and being spun around by her Blaziken, before she scooped up her exhausted Glaceon and snuggled her closely. Marina smiled, a little confused but pleased, and walked forward.

"May from Petalburg City" Marina greeted, holding out her hand. May turned to her new rival in a flourish, grinning from ear to ear.

"Marina from Violet City," May echoed, taking her hand with a giggle. "That was one of the best matches I've ever had, Marina. Thank you!"

"No, thank you. A lot of coordinators have broken my defensive wall before, and a lot of them have tried mirror coat to knock back my big moves before. But no one else has ever managed to pull it off so well!" Marina gave a trilling laugh. "Your Pokémon must really have wanted to win for you. It says a lot about you as a trainer, they must really care about you." May looked back at her two Pokémon, where Blaziken was trying to steady a somewhat woozy Glaceon. May nodded, beaming.

"They're the total best. So I guess that just leaves us the Grand Festival, huh?" May chimed, giving Marina a long last look.

"Yeah, I guess it does" the Johto native gave a knowing grin. "Say hi to Drew for me. I'm pretty sure I spotted him in the rafters getting really pumped by our battle."

"Huh?" May turned and span to look where Marina was gesturing. There was a flash of green next to a flash of pink in a sea of the cheering throngs, and May's chest swelled with pride. "Huh. I thought he'd be here somewhere."

* * *

"May, you were totally awesome!" Solidad greeted her first. She and Drew were stood outside of the contest hall, waiting for her to arrive. After getting her ribbon, she and Marina had talked more in the waiting rooms at the back, waiting for some of the crowds to clear before they made an exit. When May spotted her two old friends, she dashed forward, dragging Marina along with her a little, only to be crushed by Solidad's hug. "I mean seriously. You have grown so much since I last saw you in Kanto!"

"I can't believe I haven't seen you all season!" May whined, hugging Solidad back. "It's been way too long. Of course, you'll have your five ribbons!"

"Yep, sure do!" Solidad grinned, pulling back. "And now so do you! I'm really excited to see if we can have our rematch at the festival, I am dying to battle you after watching that."

"I'm more than ready!" May promised, filled with a confidence she'd lost somewhere at the Indigo Plateau.

"You did good, May" Drew commented, giving a hint of a smile. "Glaceon was a good choice."

"Thanks," May smiled, a little embarrassed. Marina gave Solidad a questioning look, tilting her head forward, and Solidad flared her eyes a little wider in a silent confirmation of something May and Drew completely missed. "Well, I couldn't have done it without you, so, um, really. Thanks."

"Just make sure it's not too easy to beat you at the Whirl Islands, okay?" Drew replied loftily, and May pouted, exhaling quickly through her nose.

"I guess the era of Drew being nice to me is long over, huh?" May sulked, and Solidad laughed heartily.

"Oh guys, dry up" she snickered. "Come on, let's celebrate! Marina, you want to come grab dinner with us?"

"Thanks, but I've gotta get going. I've got a gym match in the morning and my Pokémon are exhausted!" Marina smiled brightly. Drew paused, before looking at her in a barely veiled surprise.

"You challenge the gyms as well?" He asked lightly, and she nodded, smiling.

"Some of my Pokémon love contests, some of them love good honest plain battling! Who am I to deny them that" she giggled. "Anyway, I best be off. It was nice meeting you, May from Petalburg. I look forward to battling you again."

"Me too," May nodded, smiling brightly. "Thanks again, Marina. I'll see you around. Good luck with your match tomorrow!"

"Thanks, see you later guys!" As Marina walked on, Drew turned to Solidad with a sullen look.

"Well that explains the ridiculously high levelled Pokémon then," he grouched. Solidad gave a tinkling laugh.

"Well, look who is still sore from getting his butt handed to him" she teased, and Drew scowled. "Come on, come on! We have to go celebrate - let's go!"

* * *

Solidad had to be put to bed. She was twenty one as of about a month ago, and was starting to get excited about drinking. Neither May nor Drew were partial to the idea of drinking illegally (they were only seventeen, after all), so they ended up with a slumped woman leaning on each of them heavily, each tucked under one of her shoulders as she swayed, unable to use her knees, as they half carried, half dragged her through the Pokémon Center, into the trainer's rooms where they were all staying. May wished Blaziken was with them, and not with Nurse Joy, or he could have done all the work for them.

"I'm so sorry guys" Solidad slurred. "I'm supposed to be… the responsible one."

"It happens, Sol" May giggled, trying to mask her discomfort at the older girl's weight. "You're allowed to not be responsible sometimes."

"Jeez, May, are you even trying here?" Drew grumbled, and she shot him a look.

"It's not my fault! You're taller than me, of course she's propped up more on you" May sniped back, offended at the idea she wasn't putting in effort.

They found her room (Drew had checked in at the same time as her, so at least he could remember the number) and May took the key from her pocket to unlock the door. They laid her down carefully on the bed, and Drew found her a glass of water while May took the girls shoes off and took a face wipe to her older friends face, cleaning some smudges of mascara away from under her eyes.

"You guys are great" Solidad mumbled, taking a big gulp of water and falling back into the pillows. "When you're old enough, I am taking you both out and you're getting drunk and I'm looking after you."

"Sure thing" Drew commented dryly, as though perfectly confident it would never, ever happen. "Go to sleep Sol."

"Yeah, night night Solidad!" May chirped, letting Drew lead her out. "I'll come wake you in the morning!"

"Probably not wise" Drew snorted, as the door shut behind them.

They stood in the hall together, both a mix of relieved, exhausted and amused at her antics. It was late, and they both knew they needed to get to their own rooms, but there was a little hesitation in both of them. May glanced at Drew unsurely as they hovered in the hall, wondering what they were waiting for. The corridor was badly lit - there was a light directly above them that was flickering a little, like the bulb was about to die. The floors had a thick, but shabby fuchsia carpet, and the walls were a pale, grubby shade of pink that really needed a new coat. But it was free accommodation, and for travelling trainers it was a home away from home.

"So, um, which is your room?" May asked lightly, her voice thick with some kind of tension she didn't really understand. Drew looked at her with a pursed, entertained smirk.

"Seventeen" he replied with closed teeth, sweeping some of his hair out of his face.

"I'm in twenty four" she nodded back, and they were silent again, not moving. May looked up at the flickering light again. It was irritating. Moments passed, and Drew eventually made some kind of decision that they'd be there for a while, by lowering himself to the ground and sitting on the floor, his back against the wall. May watched him for a moment, and he looked at her, still with that repressed, amused smile. After a moment, he shrugged at her, watching her carefully. So she sat next to him, feeling the rough carpet under her fingers and closing her eyes as the back of her head gently met the wall. "So, Grand Festival. That's a thing."

"That's a thing. It's gonna happen." He rolled his head towards her. "You haven't battled me this season. Or Solidad, or Harley. And none of us have battled you."

"It'll be pretty exciting to see how everyone has changed over the season" May nodded, smiling to herself. "I guess you have an advantage, seeing as you and Solidad saw some of my new tricks today."

"I'm sure you've plenty more where that came from" he frowned, thinking for a moment. "I'm looking forward to this festival. I've got a good feeling about it that I didn't have for the others."

"I'm excited too, I really thought for a while I wouldn't make it" May admitted, with a sudden big, splitting grin. "I… I'm really happy."

"Good" Drew suppressed a pleased grin of his own, letting his hair fall over his face a little to hide the colour in his cheeks. "I'm glad." They sat in silence a little longer, letting the lights slowly die above them, until they were surrounded by darkness from the broken bulb.

"... I really meant it, when I thanked you earlier" May mumbled, suddenly shy. "I wouldn't have done it without you."

"You would have, it just would have been in a different way." His voice was heavy and full of an emotion May didn't recognise, but she felt her fingers tremble at his words. "But anyway, I had to pay you back for the water, right?"

"I guess that makes us even" May rolled her eyes, laughing quietly at how ridiculous it all felt. There was another long, empty pause, and Drew felt the urge to fill it.

"It was my birthday today" he told her offhandedly, not all too concerned. May stared at him in horror. "What?"

"I didn't know!" She groaned, letting her head slam against the wall in mock penance. "I would have gotten you something."

"I don't really tell people, it's not a big deal. I just figured I'd… you know. Tell you." His logic failed to make any sense, even to him. She stood up, full of a nervous energy she couldn't place. He stood up after her, watching the outline of her face, cast over by shadow. They waited for a moment longer, and he felt this incredible urge to brush her cheek with his fingers. "I'm not worried May."

"Well, happy birthday" she told him lamely. He suppressed a grin. "You know what, next year we are going all out. I am going to champion your birthday so hard. You are going to turn nineteen like it's the biggest occasion of your life."

"I find the prospect both terrifying and intriguing" he snickered, watching as she floundered. "Its fine, May. No one knows my birthday."

"Well I do now." Her resolve melted a little at a sudden proximity between them, and she hovered uncomfortably. "... I'll see you in the morning, I guess."

"Yeah" he nodded, glad the lights were off. He'd done a good job of hiding the blush that tended to come out around her. Over the years he'd learnt to turn and walk away when it began to build, or flick his hair to hide his ears better, which were the worst culprit for it. But now, covered by bad technology, he could face her without concern. She lingered a moment longer. Physical contact wasn't something they had ever really engaged in. Other than when she had half carried him to his bed when he was sea sick, they had been limited to brushes of hands and pleasantries. But she'd clearly been waiting on something, and had grown tired of waiting, as her hands reached out in the dark and found his shoulders, letting her arms slide past them and hook around his neck, her face pressed sweetly into the shoulder of his jacket. She was hugging him, and it was the warmest Drew had ever felt. Of their own accord, his arms found the small of her back and his hands sat on opposite sides of her ribcage. She was so small, and slender, he could fit his arms around her neatly. He swallowed heavily. Neither were wholly sure how long they stayed like that, but her face felt really really hot against his shoulder and her body trembled a little when she pulled away. He knew she was smiling at him from a vague outline of her face, and that was enough for him at that point. Her hands were still on his shoulders, and hers were at her sides.

"Thank you," she repeated, though whether she meant for the advice over the season or for the hug, he wasn't really clear. He didn't want to say your welcome, it felt forced and formal, and not really appreciative of the situation they were in together, and he wasn't all that sure his vocal chords were working. So instead, he just nodded in acknowledgement. The light above them gave a warning flicker, before bursting back to life, filling the corridor with colour again, and though initially panicked, Drew was pleased to see her face filled with as much red as his was. "Well, happy birthday again. I-I should…"

"Yeah, me too" he pulled his arms away just as she did, and unconsciously they each took a nervous step backwards. "I'll, er…"

"The morning. Morning" May bumbled, tripping over her feet a little. Drew laughed, mostly to himself, at the sight, turning away. "See you then."

"Well done on the win today" he choked out, facing away giving him a little more confidence in his voice. "It was nice to finally see your new style."

"Thank you" her voice was quiet and yet boomed in his ears, and he couldn't bear her presence any longer. So he walked on wordlessly, counting down the doors until he found his own, glancing back to see she hadn't moved just yet, watching him go.

* * *

 **The Grand Festival: Greeting**

* * *

It didn't take long for May to decide that the Whirl Islands were her favourite place in Johto. It was a small cluster of islands, once impossible for humans to get to due to thrashing whirlpools and almost unnaturally difficult conditions, but with advances in technology and careful timings, had become a beautiful tourist destination. The Whirl Cup was held there once every three years - Ash had told her about one he and Misty had entered it, and she had even come in the top four. It was a water specialist tournament, but had been home to the Grand Festival also when contests came to Johto, and for the purpose of the battles, the pool like arenas were covered to give all Pokémon an equal chance, though the pools could be requested for appeals if a coordinator wanted.

The Whirl Islands themselves were beautiful. Every Island had a distinct character, and in the weeks before the festival began, she explored all of them as best she could, taking full advantage of the underground tunnels connecting them together. Occasionally, she bumped into her rivals and her friends in the area - Ogi Isle she visited with Solidad, who had heard rumours of Lugia sighting in the area, and even families of them. They didn't find any or see them themselves, but villagers in the area had assured them sightings had happened within the last decade and the mere thought of it sent the two girls into a state of awe. On Silver Rock Isle, she bumped into Robert who was helping Drew train. She hadn't seen since the Hoenn Grand Festival. They'd never known each other very well, but he remembered her with a little prompting from Drew and was happy to show them around his hometown, and tell them more of the folklore surrounding the area, and the silver wings that were said to have hardened the rocks here to create impressive jewellery, which May became excited at the thought of. Red Rock Isle she went to alone, exploring the Diglett Village and befriending the usually quite shy Pokémon cheerfully, and similarly enjoyed meeting and playing with the Corsola on Yellow Rock Isle, where she bumped into Marina who was in the process of catching one. When May asked if she would use it in the contests, she just told her that her Mom was really fond of Corsola and it would make a nice birthday present down the line. Harley was keen to go to the somewhat difficult to reach Pudgy Pidgey Isle, and May was drawn to the idea of looking at lots of waddling, fat Pidgey, and was not disappointed. It was nice to see Harley in a non-competitive environment as well, and they found themselves getting on a lot better than they had in the past, although May knew when it came to contests she wasn't going to put her faith in his advice.

Blue Rock Isle was where she registered for the Grand Festival, and where her accommodation was. It was full of tourist attractions and stalls lined the streets, selling souvenirs and merchandise, and for someone who loved to shop as much as May did, it felt like heaven. There was also an abundance of hotels, which meant when May got a call from her mother asking where she should look to stay, May could give a whole list of suggestions. Caroline had told her only to expect her, as her father was busy with the gym and Max was somewhere in the deep depths of Hoenn challenging gyms, and while May was disappointed she understood.

Stood out on the pier waiting for the ship to come in was always a rigorous test of May's patience. She hadn't seen her mother in far too long, and traveling without her friends had left her a lot more homesick than she had been in previous seasons. But she knew that would melt away as soon as she smelt her mother's flowery perfume that she always wore, and the thought of her big comforting smile was making May wish she could move time forward. Beautifly waited with her, looping through the air and trilling eagerly as the boat approached, creeping its way towards the docks. In the end, May nodded Beautifly off, letting her fly towards the oncoming boat with nervous energy. Beautifly had always been very fond of her mother.

"Waiting for someone?" May turned at the familiar sound of Drew's voice. He was stood at the other end of the pier - she hadn't even noticed him arrive. May nodded, smiling.

"My mom" she explained lightly, shrugging. Drew nodded. "You?"

"Yeah, my Dad" Drew looked away, almost embarrassed. "He's never come before, so I was surprised when he called."

"Yeah, I've never met any of your family. You've never really told me about any of them before" May commented, and Drew pursed his lips a little.

"It's just my dad. No siblings, my mother wasn't really in the picture." Drew wrinkled his nose, as May immediately made a sympathetic noise. "Ah, it's fine." They waited quietly together, watching as the ship dragged closer and closer, eventually to the point where May could probably swim to it if she wanted. The sun was still high above them, and the heat was exhausting, but the sea looked beautiful with the light glistening off the choppy waves that surrounded the islands. It was a long, concrete pier, full of other trainers presumably waiting for their own families, and more and more arrived as the ship grew closer. It pulled up next to the dock with a loud, ringing foghorn, leaving May to wiggle her eyebrows pointedly at Drew and for him to roll his eyes.

"May!" May immediately recognised the voice from the ship, but it wasn't one she expected, as a boy pushed his way through the people who had waited patiently at the front of the ship. She felt her eyes well up as she burst out into disbelieving laughter. He'd changed so much since she'd seen him last; he cut his hair a little shorter, though it was still dark and limp, and his glasses had thicker rims, probably because they used to break a lot when they travelled together.

"Max! I thought you weren't coming!" She gasped, letting the boy fasten himself to her in a tight embrace. He was still shorter than her, but he was catching up fast. "Oh my goodness, Max!"

"Mom said I should wait and not spoil the surprise, but I got excited and I just had to see you!" Max grinned, practically bouncing. "And look - I got my last badge!" He opened up his denim jacket, a new look for him that May hadn't anticipated, and she saw eight glistening badges catch the light.

"That's so exciting!" May cheered, hugging her brother tighter. "I'm so prouda you, Max!"

"Hey Drew!" Max turned to his sister's rival, holding up a hand in greeting. Drew nodded, acknowledging him. "I hope you're ready, because my big sister is going to kick your butt!"

"Ah, we'll see about that" Drew's eyes flashed good-naturedly, and May suppressed a giggle. "Well done on your badges."

"Thanks!" Max beamed. "Maybe we can battle at some point, after the festival before we all leave!"

"That would end badly, I can see it now" May deadpanned. "Someone would end up crying and I'm really not sure who. Maybe me."

"Probably you, you are pretty wimpy" Max teased, and May slapped the back of his head lightly, tsking quietly. Drew suppressed a snicker. "Look, look, there they are!"

"They…?" May's voice dropped, quiet. "Is Dad here too?"

"Yup! Though I guess I spoilt the surprise again, huh?" Max was too cheerful and excitable to care. "He wanted to see you compete in person so he closed the gym!"

"He closed the gym?" May's voice trembled a little and she was scared she might cry. "He never closes the gym."

"Well, he does for you, I guess" Drew filled in quietly, guessing this meant a little more to May than she wanted to let on. She nodded quickly, feeling her eyes turn pink with tears.

"May!" Her mother's voice was easy to distinguish, as she waved from atop the crowds moving along the pier, still perched on the ferry exit. Her long, mousey hair was swept up out of her face, into a comfortable bun, Beautifly perched on top with ringing, happy chirps, and she had her slouchy pink sweater and white cargo pants that she only ever wore if she was travelling. Norman stood slightly behind her, their hands interlocked. He looked exactly the same, with the orderly short hair and the intimidating jawline and his crimson jacket. He gave May a big grin as she spotted him, and May felt her lower lip tremble as they made their way down towards their children. Max stepped to the side slightly as their parents finally reached them, and May's arms fastened around Norman before she had chance to pause. Caroline gave off a light giggle that reminded Drew of May's laugh, as May pulled back and hastily rubbed her eyes with the back of her sleeve.

"Dad" she stated, really quietly. Norman nodded, understanding.

"Figured it was about time I came to one of these things" he stated casually, shrugging. "I've seen enough of them on tv."

"I'm really good Dad" she assured him, more determined than Drew had ever seen her, he noticed with a small smile. "I know you thought I wouldn't be very good at Pokémon when I left, but… I am. I'm really glad I can show you that."

"I don't doubt you kid," he put a hand on her head, smiling.

"And Mom, you're so sneaky, why didn't you tell me they were coming!" May turned to her mother and wrapped her arms around her with a flourish, Beautifly fluttering up and then back down onto the top of May's bandana. Caroline laughed, squeezing her daughter tightly.

"I wanted to watch you cry" Caroline teased, pinching her daughter's cheek. "Ah, this is Drew, right? We met at the Hoenn Grand Festival!"

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Mrs Maple" Drew replied politely, rubbing the back of his neck a little.

"I'm Norman, Petalburg Gym Leader," Norman introduced, offering his hand for Drew to shake, which he took slightly awkwardly. "I've heard a lot about you from May."

"I'm sure she never tires of talking about me, I'm pretty great" Drew shot May a pointed look, and she stuck her tongue out with a sulk.

"All about how you're a stupid dweeb" May grumbled, and Max laughed.

"You need better insults" Drew retorted. Caroline and Norman shared a look, both suppressing a chuckle. "Oh - sorry, I've just seen my Dad. I'll catch up with you later May, it was nice to see you all." He gave a polite wave as he moved away, and May craned her neck to catch a look of him greeting his father. The man Drew approached was tall, with the same green, messy hair as his son and the same sharp, piercing eyes. He had a loose grey shirt and dark, pressed suit trousers on, and looked a little nauseous as he stepped off the boat. May pressed her lips together to stop from laughing - it appeared seasickness ran in the family. His father clapped a hand onto his son's shoulder, and they walked on wordlessly, looking like there was no conversation between them. She watched them curiously, until Max snapped her back into attention by tugging on her arm a little.

"Earth to May" he drawled, and May jumped a little, blushing. "Stop staring after your boyfriend and tell us where we need to go."

"Boyfriend?" Caroline's ears pricked up. "Have there been some developments I haven't been filled in on?"

"Absolutely not!" May denied quickly, throwing her hands up into the air defensively.

"Your mother did tell me when she came to the Hoenn Festival there was a moment between you two on the beach" Norman questioned dryly, giving May an inquisitive look, and May flushed bright red.

"This is ridiculous!" She stomped her foot petulantly. "Drew is a really good friend, but there's nothing like that going on, I swear!"

"You never used to call him your friend" Max snickered as they made their way along the pier. "It was always 'Drew's such a jerk, I can't wait to beat him, wait till you see the look on his stupid gross face'..."

"Max if you don't stop talking I will push you off the pier" May barked, her arms folded in a sulky huff, storming ahead slightly.

"He was very polite" Norman noted quietly to Caroline.

"You should have seen them in Hoenn," she whispered back, conspiratorially. "He gave her roses and everything. Totally smitten with her."

* * *

 **Grand Festival: The Opening Ceremony.**

* * *

Caroline had brought along with her a selection of May's favourite dresses from home, and the sight of them all had filled her with joy. Most of the coordinators she knew would buy some new clothes as soon as they arrived at the Grand Festival location, and were limited in their options as to what they might wear to the various gatherings that came with the Grand Festival, like the opening and closing ceremonies. The opening ceremonies were that evening, and after spending the day showing her family parts of the island she'd come to know well, Caroline accompanied May back to her Grand Festival doom room while the boys went to change in their hotel rooms. May had never been good at things like makeup or doing pretty things with hair, she'd always admired other people's and how pretty it could look but never had the deftness of hand to replicate the looks herself. It didn't take long for May to pick out which dresses she wanted to wear, and which she might wear for the contests, as she had the option; she had a very clear idea in her head how she wanted to look, and Caroline was a good help in pairing things together.

The dorm room was nice. It was very simple, but had a beautiful view of the coast, with a wall full of windows to look out over the sea, and blinds to pull across when she was dressing. The flooring was a lovely, dark wooden pattern, and the walls were creamy and off white, framed itineraries on the wall next to the door, a small wooden wardrobe and mirror, a door to her ensuite and a single bed with soft, silky bedding and lots of cushions. Caroline had even brought along some soft blankets and plush toys from her room at home. It was little thoughts like that that made Caroline so invaluable to May.

The dress she'd chosen for the ceremony was light and airy. It had a sheer look to the material, and shimmered a little as it folded over itself and around her. The neckline was low, but Caroline had a small white camisole that made sure everything covered up nicely, which May was pleased for. It fell to her knees, and caught in the air attractively when a breeze caught. In the way only a mother can really fuss, she did May's hair, brushing it gently to ease out any knots and scolded her mockingly, telling her that there were split ends that needed seeing to. May squirmed under her mother's touch, but allowed her to braid her hair into a pretty pattern across one of her shoulders, and touch the lightest dab of blush to her cheeks and lips. Caroline didn't believe in heavy makeup, and neither did May, really.

"You look very beautiful" Caroline murmured gently, and May felt the warmth of her breath as she spoke, touching a little mascara to her daughter's eyes. "You might break your father's heart, you know."

"What do you mean?" May asked, furrowing her eyebrows. Caroline tsked her, pulling them back into place with her thumb to keep her access to May's waterline open.

"Well, with that little proving yourself speech when we arrived, and how…" Caroline paused, moving her thumb to brush her cheek. "How grown up you've become. You're not our little girl anymore, you're out there taking on the world. And he sees that and he's very proud. He's just sad that so much of who you are, you became when you travelled. You're a very different girl to who you were when you left home, and he recognises that and he's sad he wasn't a part of it."

"I don't understand" May replied honestly, blinking as Caroline stepped back, clicking her mascara wand away. "I always called home, and told you all what I was doing, and I invited him to my contests and… I don't know what more I could have done."

"Oh, honey, it's nothing you could have done. It's a natural part of being a parent I don't think he was prepared for" Caroline gave a tinkling laugh. "He is adjusting to the fact that there's a shift in the relationship. You're not ten and wide eyed and staring at him like he's your hero. You're standing up in your own right, and looking him in the eye and proving yourself to be an incredibly competent adult woman. You turn eighteen next year May, and you've been away from home for a long time. He didn't watch this part of your growing up."

"I… I think I get it." May grimaced, looking away. "Is there any way I can…?"

"No, he needs to see what I saw in Hoenn." Her mother smiled, brushing some of the bangs from May's face. "He'll be fine. This is just what he's going through, and it had to happen at some point. I don't think seeing the way Drew looks at you is helping him, either."

"How did I know that Drew would be brought up at some point" May grunted darkly, folding her arms across her chest defensively. Caroline snickered.

"You can keep denying your feelings to him all you want, I'm not going to push you" she tinkled, tucking her make up bag into her purse. "But you can't deny his. If even your father noticed it, it's pretty irrefutable."

"Let's not talk about this Mom." May's voice was almost tired, having had this conversation with just too many people now, and Caroline nodded, pursing her lips in a smile.

"Alright, just let me gush about how pretty you look then" she beamed, offering a hand to her daughter to twirl her around. "Oh you're like a princess! I don't know where you got such a pretty face."

"I dunno, you, Mom?" May arched an eyebrow as she fell back into place, and Caroline laughed effervescently, winking at her daughter.

"That was the right answer."

* * *

Opening ceremonies were always fun. The crowds were full of super fans, and friends and family of all the coordinators. All of the competitors would walk out together, standing in the arena where they would soon be competing with each other, and the opening announcements would be made, the judges would be introduced and the prizes would be laid out. Coordinators would then attend a party - some regions this was casual, as it had been in Kanto and Hoenn, and others more formal, like in Sinnoh, or here in Johto. Their family would be invited, and all the coordinators could spend some time getting to know their rivals for the contests a little better, and blowing off some of their nervous energy before the contest began the day after the next., giving those coordinators who were a little overly enthusiastic with their partying a chance to recover, although it always seemed to be rookies who made that mistake, and everyone who was serious about it would spend the next day practicing their two appeals.

May said farewell to her family in the lobby, and they hurried off to their seats, only Norman pausing to squeeze her arm in a reassuring sort of way. When she made it to the waiting room, she found Solidad and Harley already there, stood talking and eyeing up the competition. The waiting room was much bigger than any of the others she'd seen in Kanto or Hoenn, with booths where people could sit, and lockers that competitors could rent. Everything was a sterile, perfect white, and May's heels clicked awkwardly against the floor. Only she could hear them over the sound of the bubbles of conversation flying around the room though, and May was relieved to reach her friends. Solidad had a pretty dress that she'd clearly bought at one of the stalls, with bright, festival colours and tribal patterns, falling to her ankles. It was the first time May had seen Harley in anything but his Cacturne suit (bar the time he dressed as her, which May had worked hard to repress), but he looked good with his hair pulled into a ponytail, wearing smart, navy trousers and a rather loud button up shirt. She fluttered over to them brightly, and they greeted her cheerfully.

"Solidad your dress is lovely" May complimented sweetly, and Solidad smiled, looking unsurely at herself.

"I'm not one for dressing up!" She admitted openly. "I would much rather be in my ratty old coat. But thanks! You look completely gorgeous."

"Yeah girlfriend, though I hate to admit it you really do" Harley echoed, looking her up and down. "Your hair looks like normal hair instead of like Weepinbell leaves."

"You're the king of compliments, Harley" May deadpanned. "So did Drew ever turn up?"

"Oh he's somewhere being antisocial I'm sure" Harley waved off nonchalantly.

"He's been really absorbed in his Dad being here" Solidad commented, glancing at May. "I get the feeling it's a big deal."

"Yeah, I'm sure" May nodded, looking around. She couldn't spot him anywhere, so let it pass.

"Oh, looks like it's time to head in!" Solidad grabbed Harley's left hand and May's right, pulling them forward. Doors that May hadn't noticed began to swing open in front of them, the roar of the stadium greeting them and covering May's skin in goosebumps. The night sky was brilliant above the stadium, floodlight illuminating the grounds. Everything felt spectacular and powerful, and the crowds were packed and screaming for them, and she knew among them her family stood screaming for her. Her stomach flipped, but she managed to put one foot in front of another respectably, and waved to the audience with both arms and a huge smile. Harley was doing the same, though prancing euphorically, and Solidad laughing as she gave a one armed greeting, holding her fist high in the air. A little way away from them, May and Marina caught eyes, and they grinned at each other in a way that made May's blood run faster, a competitive gleam in the other girl's eyes. May was sure she wouldn't let her loss go easily. Marina was the home favourite as well, with a small section of the crowd dedicated to her, squealing riotously when she waved to them, flourishing the draping white sleeves of her dress. The commotion settled a little as a man stood on a podium in the centre of the floor, Mr Contesta, and began to speak into a microphone that made his voice echo around the arena, reverberating through the floor powerfully. He was dressed in the same red blazer he always wore, with his black bowtie, although his hair was streaked with more and more grey every time May saw him.

" _Good evening, Johto_!" He greeted, creating a further burst of screams and shouts. " _Welcome, to this year's Johto Grand Festival! I will be your head judge for this occasion, along with my esteemed panel. This includes my dear friend Mr Sukizo, the president of the Pokémon Fan Club, and a Nurse Joy from here in Whirl Islands, as well as the Nurse Joy from the Silver Conference, and the Nurse Joy from Goldenrod City_!"

At his words, three identical Nurse Joys appeared behind him and waved to the crowds cheerfully, dressed neatly in their white pinafores, and Mr Sukizo stood just behind him, his same old grey suit looking a little wrinkled as he leant on a cane. He said something the microphone didn't pick up, but May was certain he'd said 'Remarkable'.

" _This year's festivities are going to be the best yet, I'm sure_!" Mr Contesta continued, gesturing forward to the coordinators, and May felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand to attention. " _Why, the winner of this year's ribbon cup is stood right before us in this room_!"

All of the coordinators burst into huge cheers and screams, years of preparation for every individual feeling as though it was coming to a head, and May couldn't help but stamp her feet and scream along with the crowd, bouncing from the burst of adrenaline at the mere thought of it. The ribbon cup. It could be hers.

* * *

The party was full of a similar kind of energy that was in the stadium. Most people ignored the buffet out of nervous stomachs, which May took full advantage of, and gorged herself silly. Marina was doing the same, and they exchanged slightly shameful nods as they each hovered around a particularly large plate of cupcakes. Music was blaring and alcohol was pouring, and Harley was on top form, dancing around majestically and dragging a somewhat reluctant Solidad with him, spinning her not-so gracefully wherever they went, leaving others to duck and dive and keep a clear path for them. Caroline and Norman sat spectating, talking quietly and happily between themselves. Max bounced between sitting with his parents and eating with May, so when there was a moment where Max headed off to find them, May slipped out of the festivities unnoticed.

The contest hall was beautiful to look at, and May wandered along next to it quietly, not sure where she should be looking. It was right next to the main beaches, pristine white and soft, so May took off her shoes and carried them in her hand, leaving little footprints behind her as she pottered along, looking around. It was a pretty night, and warmer than she'd ever thought Johto could be, although Nurse Joy had said at one point that the temperature fluctuated between the different islands. There was a small cliff cutting into the beach up ahead, but it would be easy enough to walk around it.

"That's enough for now," she heard a voice. It sounded familiar, but it was lower and a little gruffer than she recognised. "You're getting better though."

"Thanks." That voice she definitely recognised. Suddenly nervous, she ducked in behind the cliff, not wanting to interrupt. "It's not quite there yet."

"We'll work on it more tomorrow. It's not an easy combination." It didn't take May long to figure it was Drew with his father, and her heart swelled at the thought of them training together. She'd wondered, since seeing them at the pier, what their relationship was, and it warmed her to think it was a close one. "But you are much better than I remember. You've come on a lot these past years. Particularly Roserade."

"She's pretty tough" Drew agreed, a proud tinge to his voice.

"If you play your cards right, you could win" his father continued, and May held her breath. "But you can't get distracted. I'm glad you missed the opening ceremonies tonight, but you can't let your guard down."

"I know" Drew muttered, a little darkly, like he felt patronised.

"I mean it, Andrew." May bit her lip at the name. "You need to focus. I think you know what I'm talking about."

"Look, it isn't a problem" Drew bit back, and there was a clear tension growing. "I'm not distracted. I know exactly what I need to do, and I've been doing it for a long time without your support."

"That was your own choice. You left. You didn't warn me, or tell me you were competing - I could only follow what you were doing through keeping up with Grand Festivals on online streams." Any ideas May had about it being a good relationship crumbled away. "I wanted to help you."

"Well, I didn't want your help" Drew's voice was a little shaky and forced. "I'm glad you're here, Dad. But I don't need you to advise me on what to do with her. I don't need you in my personal life like that."

"You lost to her because you got distracted." It was with a shudder that May realised they were talking about her. A wave of nausea hit her like she'd never felt before. "Just remember that. I'm going back to my hotel room, do what you want." There was a long, long silence, punctuated by the crunch of shoes against sand. May let out a long, slow breath, not realising she'd been holding it. She stood, hoping she could leave unspotted, and began to walk back up the beach, retracing the footprints she'd left. Confident she'd left unnoticed, she looked behind her and checked the empty expanse of beach. She could see him now, he'd moved forward so he was stood in the surf, looking upwards. Pausing, she turned to look at him. She thought maybe, for a moment, he might have looked back, but he was too far away to tell.

* * *

She went straight back to her dorm room, not really feeling like re-joining the party. Knowing her parents would understand, she texted them a quick message saying she'd overeaten, felt a bit woozy and gone for some air, and was now going to bed, and then switched her phone off. Sitting on the edge of her dorm room bed, she didn't quite have the energy or the heart to get undressed or take off her make up yet. So she sat, quietly for a moment, hugging her knees against her chest and pouting against her kneecaps. It felt colder than it had before, and she was regretting that last bowl of ice cream.

There was a light, almost timid knock at her door, and May froze. She didn't move, so they knocked again, a little more forcefully, but May again stayed still, not daring to move, or even breathe.

"You left footprints" he said through the door. "Let me in, May."

"No." She was surprised at how sad she sounded. "After everything you did this season I'm not going to distract you."

"You're not a distraction, May. Please open the door." Hesitating, she stood, but let her hand hover over the door handle for a moment, still unsure. "Please, May. I'll tell you where I get the roses from." Curiosity won over her better judgement, and she clicked the door open, gulping as he appeared. Clearly, he'd intended to go to the ceremony. He was dressed too nicely to not have. "Roserade grows them."

"I knew it was something to do with her," May mumbled under her breath, the mystery solved, and he blinked, his face unchanging. "You can come in, if… if you want."

"I do." She stepped aside, and he walked in meekly, as though waiting to be scolded. "What did you hear?"

"I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop" she said quickly, closing the door behind him. Drew sat on her bed, picking up a plush toy of a Swablu. "I just… I was looking for you when I couldn't find you at the ceremony, and then I heard you talking and I just didn't want to interrupt, and then when I realised it was… about me, then well, I just couldn't… you know. It was too awful."

"Are you offended?" He asked, glancing up at her. "Awful in what way?"

"Awful as in the coincidence of me being there at that particular moment" May explained, fiddling with her braid. "I don't mean you. I just… I didn't want to make anything worse."

"I understand" he nodded, and she breathed out. "You don't have anything to be sorry for, anyway. I'm sorry that my father said those things. He doesn't understand anything, really."

"Am I really a distraction to you?" May asked, sadly. "I don't want to be."

"You're not" Drew stared firmly, looking up at her. She sat next to him, doubtful. "You didn't beat me in Kanto because you distracted me, you beat me because you performed better than I did."

"Well, there's always that" May conceded, giving him an amiable smile, and he snorted with laughter.

"Dad gave up coordinating when he got someone pregnant with me," Drew explained briskly. "She was a coordinator as well. When she gave birth, she stuck around for a few weeks and took off, leaving it to him to raise me. She became a top coordinator, and he became nothing."

"Oh." May made a face. "I'm sorry, I didn't realise."

"It's fine - I mean, I'm fine. Dad is a little hung up over the situation, and I never really forgave him for giving up on himself like that, I mean he could have gone back to competing many, many times and he never did" he continued, folding his arms. "It's why I went into coordinating, anyway. I wanted to prove that she wasn't better than us. And I didn't want him to be involved because he gave up."

"I understand," May mumbled, folding her legs underneath herself. "But why does that make me a distraction?" Drew stared at her, unblinkingly, and May remembered with a sudden chill the conversation she'd had with her mother earlier that day. "Oh. Y-You…"

"Draw your own conclusions if you will," he scoffed, standing up. He was faced away from her, but May could see the back of his neck was burning. "But I'm going to bed. So should you, tomorrow will be your last chance to do some proper training."

"Alright" May mumbled, facing down. "But... um… what should I do with those conclusions?"

"Do whatever you want, May." Drew looked back at her again, his eyes a little wider and his lips a little tighter. "I'm tired. I'm going to bed."

"Okay." She wasn't even sure what she was talking about anymore. Drew's eyes softened, and he sighed a little. He reached forward, looking like he might brush her cheek for a moment, but thought better of it and pulled his hand back rigidly, before walking away and reaching the door. He pulled it back, and turned to see she hadn't moved, still hunched over on her bed.

"May?" Her eyes shot up to him, focused and yet confused. "I just…" he paused, floundering, and there was colour in his cheeks. "I just think you look really pretty. Sorry for being…" there was a moment, where he lifted his hand and it dropped back to his side, and he was unable to find the right word. But he thought of it, and it made him smile. "Sorry for being a dweeb."

"You can't help being a dweeb, it comes naturally" May replied softly, giggling, looking back at him. Drew gave her a weak grimace that she supposed was meant to be a smile, and shut the door behind him.

* * *

 **Grand Festival: The First Round**

* * *

The first round of the Johto Grand Festival consisted of two stages. Everyone did their primary appeal, after which all but one hundred and twenty eight would be eliminated, and then a second appeals round would eliminate another half of that, leaving sixty four to go into the battle rounds. The first appeal was a solo, and then the second was a double appeal. The coordinators were back to their comfortable, usual clothes, wanting to be able to move around with their Pokémon easily as they gave their appeals, and May could tell a lot of them were much more comfortable, herself included. She didn't feel herself without her bandana.

There were a lot of separate arenas - five, in fact, due to the mass amount of coordinators competing that day. Appeals usually lasted a couple of minutes, but with judging and marking each one, it would take a lot longer than one day for every single coordinator to perform without breaking it up. There was one judge at each stage, and all of their marks were moderated, so it was kept fairly equal. There were screens showing each of the arena's performances in all of the waiting rooms, so May could see everyone's performances, but the only person she knew on the same stage as her was Solidad.

Marina was up first out of the people she knew, and the announcer informed the audience she'd won the Johto Grand Festival in the past, which was new information to May but it didn't surprise her. She looked collected and calm, which May had expected, and she called out a Smoochum she called 'Chumee'. It gave a very sweet performance, filled with sweet kisses and little shapes made from psychic attacks to make a cutesy shadow puppet show, in which Chumee was the star. The audience were enamoured, as were the judges, and she flew through with near top marks. Harley wasn't long after, his Ariados creating a network of webs, layered to create fantastic lighting for Ariados to display its toxic attacks. His marks weren't as high as Marina's, but they were still awfully high, enough to make May nervous. There were a lot of competitors, enough to create a long break before anyone else she knew was up to perform on.

"Marina and Harley did well," Solidad commented, and May agreed, humming to herself. "You seem preoccupied. I hope you're focused."

"Completely" May assured her, rubbing her Pokeball over in her hand. "I'm very ready. It's just that this is this Pokémon's debut, so I'm really hoping it goes well - for her sake."

"A new Pokémon?" Solidad let out a low whistle. "I didn't see that coming, I'll be honest."

"I'm full of surprises" May teased, grinning, and Solidad nodded, smiling.

"Well, you're not the only one" Solidad taunted back, straightening her back. "I'm up. Wish me luck!"

"Good luck!" May called after her as Solidad disappeared. The announcer introduced her as the previous winner of the Kanto Grand Festival, and the crowd went wild at the news a top coordinator was about to perform. May watched closely as Solidad let out a Pokémon she'd never seen her use before; an Ampharos, which looked both sleek and furiously strong all at once. Fully expecting to be blown away, May bit her lip, waiting to see Solidad dazzle the audience. She was right to expect it, as the light show that they gave was perfect to honour the reputation of the lighthouse Pokémon, with glowing ambers and illuminating zap cannons that fizzled through the air and created static at Ampharos' feet. May smiled, tilting her head. Solidad had a knack for appeals like no one May had ever seen before. However, it wasn't long until her attention was caught by another screen.

Drew was being introduced on another stage, and he stood confidently in his noticeably not-aqua trousers, which made May smile. He was using Roserade, who gave a beautiful petal dance sequence, intertwined with a solar beam that illuminated the whole arena, the petals fracturing the light and making it shower down around them. They bowed together, neat and precise, and May couldn't help but beam at the sight. He scored high - even higher than Marina, although she had missed Solidad's scoring so she wasn't sure if he'd beaten her. She made sure to tear herself away as Solidad remerged, congratulating her and gushing over her Ampharos.

"It really was amazing, Sol" May gesticulated wildly as she spoke, bouncing on the spot, and Solidad grinned.

"Thanks! I'm really pleased, and I'm over the moon with the score. What did you think?" Solidad looked back up at the televisions, checking each of them frantically for their top score of the day, but they were starting up an interval and the screens were temporarily blank. "Damn."

"I thought it was well deserved!" May could lie with the best of them when she needed to. "You missed Drew's performance by the way."

"Oh!" Solidad's face dropped; she'd really wanted to see it. "How did he do?"

"It was incredible, really" May flushed a little as she spoke, smiling softly. "He got a twenty nine point seven."

"The little rat beat me," Solidad pouted, not a hint of malice in her words. "Only point three away from a perfect score, too."

"It was really beautiful. Roserade seems unbeatable." May looked back to the screens where they'd started showing interviews with some of the judges. Drew had performed on Mr Contesta's stage, and he was busy justifying the ridiculously high score and praising the way in which Roserade was raised, while on another, showing a shot by shot replay of the highest score of the day. Solidad watched intently, smiling and nodding slowly as it played through, freezing on their bow, so perfectly in sync and the little proud smirk on Drew's face as he became aware how completely he'd nailed it. The two girls shared a look, knowing he was going to be unbearable.

"You're up after the interval, right?" Solidad asked lightly, and May exhaled heavily, nodding. "Nurse Joy won't know what hit her."

* * *

May stood quietly, feeling the eyes of the audience and the focus of the camera cling to her. The announcer was saying something that sounded vaguely like her name and her media given title, the Princess of Petalburg, but all she could hear was the blood pounding in her ears.

"Azumarill," she murmured, holding her Pokeball to her lips, kissing it softly. "Azumarill," she repeated, bending her knees and springing forward, twisting as she tossed the Pokeball skyward; it shone out like a beam of light before her newest Pokémon spiralled with her, landing neatly next to her. "Take the stage!"

The crowd cheered, excited by the high movement entrance, and May threw her finger forward. "Use bubble beam, and give it some spin!" Azumarill bounced up and balanced on her tail, allowing her to spin with ease as she sent of a spiral of bubbles into the sky, filling the air and covering the audience with slowly popping, colourful orbs, delighting the younger fans. "Follow it up with aqua tail!" May continued, and the tail that Azumarill balanced on began to swell with water, before pushing Azumarill up into the air in a jet of water, controlled entirely by the careful rotation of the flexible blue tail. "Aqua ring!" Azumarill surrounded herself in a watery veil, shimmering inside oaf the protective bubble she'd made herself, still hovering in the air. Nurse Joy was staring upwards, entranced by the height Azumarill had gotten herself to. "Let's show them just how serious we are, and play rough!" As Azumarill's orb or water began to descend, Azumarill sent the water around her flying out, throwing her arms up and spinning as she violently threw it away, showcasing her huge power. The audience was treated to a light shower from the bursting water as Azumarill fell to the ground, landing neatly with May and posing alongside her, waving to the crowds. She laughed, thrilled it had gone down well, and scooped Azumarill up to give her a big, enveloping hug.

She was halfway back to the waiting room when her scoring was announced - a twenty eight point one, which she was more than pleased with, although she'd dipped below Marina. But it was enough, and she was satisfied.

The results of the first set of appeals went by without much drama. Drew was at the top of the list, his Roserade securing him first position moving through to the second appeals round, with Marina chasing close behind and Solidad solidly securing third. There was a dozen more who'd beaten May, but she made the top twenty, and Harley dipped down somewhere around the thirties mark. But they were all easily though, and based on those marks they would all get through to the battle rounds as well, which boded well as the marks would be carried over. Now there was only one hundred and twenty eight left. With all five stages being used, there were only twenty five or twenty six performances on each stage, which meant it would only take a couple of hours or so. The earlier appeals had taken them from first thing in the morning through to early afternoon, which meant there was plenty of time for the appeals to run straight on through to the evening.

The stages were swapped, so no one would have the same judge twice. May and Solidad were separated as Solidad moved on to be judged by Mr Contesta along with Harley, and May was placed with Mr Sukizo along with Drew and Marina, who'd had one of the other Nurse Joys before.

Drew wasn't in a talkative mood backstage, which May had anticipated, but she made a point of congratulating him on his incredible score, and he thanked her and had complimented her new Pokémon in turn, telling her she had made a good choice. So she sat with Marina, who was psyched to see she was having to work a lot harder than she was used to.

"The last time I competed in Johto, contests were new here, and everyone just lay down and handed it to me because I had a bit of experience" Marina explained to May, draining a takeaway cup of coffee as they watched the screens together. "This year, well, the competition is so much more intense. I mean, I lost in one of the contests! And I'm not top of the appeals! It's very new."

"I'm glad you're enjoying your experience with us mere commoners" May retorted sarcastically, and Marina giggled behind her hand, apologising.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that offensively, it was meant to be a compliment, really!" She continued. "Your Azumarill looked really great, by the way."

"Thank you," May acknowledged, giving the girl a warm smile. "Your Smoochum is really cute."

"Thanks! Chumee was my first Pokémon" Marina explained, folding her hands behind her back. "She's a real toughie. It looks like you're up next, right?"

"Right." May gave Marina a firm look, remembering her promise at Blackthorn. "Tell me what you think when I'm done."

"Will do!" Marina smiled, but as soon as May had turned away it folded away slightly, and it turned into a nervous glance. May hadn't noticed, and continued on her way towards the stage, passing Drew wordlessly as she did. He followed her with his eyes, watching as she sprinted forward, a Pokeball in either hand. He turned his attention to the screen, waiting quietly as the announcement began.

" **And here she is again, the Princess of Petalburg - it's May Maple**!"

"Beautifly, Bellossom! Take the stage!" She was still running from her starting point from backstage, and she tossed the pokeballs up above her in a huge leap. Drew arched an eyebrow, impressed. He knew she'd have picked up at least one new Pokémon along the way, but two have picked up two and fully evolved them and have them Grand Festival ready was an accomplishment. Watching critically, he observed her twist petal dances and silver winds together, creating a dance between two fairly adorable Pokémon, and he stifled a smile. It was like a take-off of some of their battles, he thought dryly, of their early days. His Roselia would spam petal dance, and her Beautifly would spam silver wind, and it always looked very pretty. He supposed that's why he'd raised Masquerain, and she'd raised her Bulbasaur, and now her Bellossom. They took a lot from each other, early on. It was her better performance of the two, he decided, although he supposed he had a reason for his bias. He knew anyone who knew of their ongoing rivalry and their friendship would place that appeal with him as much as her.

Her marks were high again, just brushing above the twenty nine mark, and he nodded, more to himself than anything else, glad to see the appeal really was stronger and it wasn't just his own sway. She was exhilarated as she came back through, swinging Bellossom in her arms with Beautifly fluttering around them, laughing giddily and breathily as she twirled on one foot. There was a lightness to her movements that made Drew look away eventually, for the same reasons he'd walked away from her in the corridor in Blackthorn. She looked towards him, and hovered uncertainly.

"What did you think?" She asked lightly, and he knew his ears were burning again and giving him away, because she was smiling shyly and her own cheeks were pink, although hers could have been from the adrenaline of performing. Conceding, he smiled, nodding.

"I can only wonder where you came up with such a wonderful appeal idea," he teased, and she flushed brighter.

"W-Well…" she floundered, looking away. "You… you were a big help to me this season and I think it's only right that my appeal reflects that." Bellossom looked up at him from her arms, chirping happily, and he petted her head fondly.

"Your bellossom is very sweet" he praised, much to the small Pokémon's delight. "Ilex Forest?"

"Yeah, I won the sun stone at National Park. I planned it all out after I got back from Sinnoh. I went to Mt Mortar and caught a Marill, too, and she clearly evolved into Azumarill." May beamed, very proud, and Drew nodded. She had every right to be. "Whirl Islands is all about water, so I wanted one appeal to reflect that, and then the other… well…" she paused, shrugging. "You figured it out already."

"You actually thought that far ahead," Drew raised his brow, before looking down, hiding a smile. "You're no rookie anymore, huh."

"Guess not." May bit her lip, also looking away. "Can… we talk at some point? About last night? Not right now, obviously, you're going to perform at some point, just…"

"Let's rain check for now" Drew swallowed, not really sure he was prepared for the conversation they would have. "I need to focus on the festival, and so do you."

"You're right." May chastised herself under her breath. "You're right. I'm, er, sorry. I'm gonna go grab a drink, do you want anything?"

"I've got a bottle of water in my bag, but thanks" he nodded, and she scurried away with a nervous grin, chatting away to her Pokémon as she went.

Harley's performance came on screen - he was using his Wigglytuff and a Sneasel, a new addition to his team. They were bouncing off each other and creating powerful, clashing combinations that were risky, but pulled off a strangely pleasing, discordant performance. Solidad wasn't long after, with her Pidgeot and Butterfree circling each other, Pidgeot's physical attacks cutting through Butterfree's special moves, another slightly jarring appeal that worked, fluttering through the air in a powerful aerial display. Marina was silent, a little way away, observing. She looked irked, and had done since May's appeal. Drew noted it, logging it as some new information, and turned back to the screens quietly.

* * *

 **The Grand Festival: The Second Round**

* * *

"Well, that was exhilarating to watch" Caroline chimed, spooning a mouthful of soup to her lips. She drank it quickly. "It's nice that all of your friends got through too."

"You have some very talented rivals," Norman nodded, tearing some bread with his mouth. They were eating in a small, upscale restaurant near the hall to celebrate May's high seeding place for the battle rounds, much higher than she'd anticipated after the first appeal left her in the twenties. She smiled, nibbling at her salad demurely. It was only the starting course, and she was saving herself for the three desserts she had been promised.

"Drew was scary good" Max commented darkly. "You'll have to watch out for him, this year."

"I have to watch out for Drew every year" May rolled her eyes. "It's cool. Being number one seed from the appeals doesn't mean he'll win, it means he just has a very good chance."

"But that second appeal with his Houndoom and Absol, it was breath-taking" Caroline gushed, and May pursed her lips. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to go on, but it really was."

"I'd never seen his Houndoom before," May admitted, agreeing quietly. "I wondered who his new Pokémon for this festival would be, there's always one."

"And who was that girl, Marina" Norman continued, chewing thoughtfully. "She had a Bayleef and an Arcanine."

"Yeah, she's super strong, but also really nice. I only met her recently, but she's a real sweetheart" May replied brightly, sipping at her water between words. "She definitely deserves that number two seed."

"Enough about everyone else, though" Caroline fussed, reaching across to cup her daughter's cheek, who beamed. "You, in particular, were brilliant."

"That Azumarill can jump" Norman echoed, pointing at May with his fork. "That could come in handy in a battle situation, never be afraid to go from another angle if you're getting stuck with a defensive wall."

"The routine with Beautifly and Bellossom looked familiar," Max said slowly and deliberately, flexing his eyebrows at May as he took a long sip of his drink. She stared at him, silently, daring him to say another word, as he replaced his glass on the table. "But I must have been seeing things."

"Must be," May replied through gritted teeth.

"Well, I thought it was very pretty!" Caroline chirped, oblivious.

* * *

The next few days were full of battles. Drew and Marina, as the first and second seed, were as far apart on the battle map as they could possibly be, Drew in group one and Marina in group four. May and Solidad, seeds six and three, respectively, were both in group three, and Harley joined Drew in group one as seed twenty five. When everyone blitzed through their first round match with ease, she quickly realised if they all kept winning, she'd have to eventually battle Solidad, and then Marina, and then either Drew or Harley in the final, depending on which of them beat the other, and quietly hoped that some of her rivals got knocked out by people who weren't here. Not out of spite, but out of fear. She knew individually they were the strongest coordinators she knew, all for very different reasons with different styles, and she knew she'd struggle to overcome them all.

Especially when they all seemed to be getting on so well. Ignoring Drew and Harley, who had a permanent state of mutual dislike going well for them, they all fit together very nicely as a little group of five. May found herself growing closer and closer to Marina as well, who seemed to share her sense of humour perfectly and they often got coffee between watching matches together, when May wasn't watching with her family (if it was a match between competitors who May likely wouldn't face, or it didn't particularly interest them, they had taken to looking around Whirl Islands, and Norman would be helping Max train for the league). Drew, alternatively, she saw relatively little of over the course of the battle stages, as he spent most of his time either doing last minute training by the cliff faces, or he'd be with his father, whom was growing a more prominent presence, which did nothing but frustrate May.

May had just won the last battle she had before the quarterfinals, her Delcatty and Glaceon pulling off some stunning combinations that had saved her in the last minute. It had been a little gruelling, but they'd gotten there in the end, and she had a little time to watch Solidad's battle for a place in the same quarter final as her. She was just about to place the final blow, knocking her opponents out before the time was even near running out with her Lapras' sheer cold, creeping up and causing them to shiver and collapse while filling the arena with a beautiful chill. May hardened herself. Part of her had been looking forward to this match, but the other part of her had been dreading it. Solidad had been the root of all of her insecurities over the past season, the first thing that knocked her back and made her doubt her style of battling. The idea of losing to her again was unbearable, but the idea of beating her while battling in a way unnatural to herself somehow felt worse. With that in mind, she promptly made her way to the Pokémon Center and asked if she could please transport some Pokémon.

Harley and Drew had their quarterfinals match up first though. Her family were in the audience, but she opted to watch in the waiting room with Solidad and Marina. As much as her family were weirdly in tune with them, they did not understand the intricacies in the relationship between Harley and Drew as well as Solidad, and May enjoyed Marina's commentary on contest matches; it was always astute and worth hearing. The body language between Drew and Harley was almost frightening, as stood opposite each other, eyes locked in a competitive glare. Solidad commented offhandedly that she didn't think they'd ever battled before, and May agreed that she at least had never seen it personally.

The timer began, and Drew sent out his new Houndoom and Masquerain. Harley sent out his Cacturne and his Wigglytuff. Within seconds, it was clear Harley was at a severe disadvantage in power levels. While Masquerain distracted Harley's Pokémon with flutterings of silver wind and bubble beam, not enough to cause real harm but enough to keep Harley on his toes, Houndoom was in a deep, meditative state, staring at his opponents with a watchful eye, a dark glow shining across the intimidating Pokémon's coat. Marina quietly commented that he was using nasty plot, boosting Houndoom's already ridiculously high special attack ability, and May bit her lip, wondering what he would do with it. Suddenly, Drew was calling out flamethrower on Cacturne that knocked it out in moments, boosted by Masquerain's silver wind to push it along with a beautiful, grey shimmer around the extreme heat of the attack. It was a stunning display of raw power, and blew Harley away for a moment, numbing him. He bounced back, calling on Wigglytuff to counter with a thunder attack on Masquerain, but Drew was smirking so widely as he called it May knew he had something up his sleeve. The crackle of the speakers was getting a little irritating, sometimes jumbling words with static as they came out, so as Drew called out his counter, May was certain she hadn't heard him clearly. But still, she inhaled audibly, covering her mouth with her hands in total shock and enamourment as she realised what he was doing.

"Houndoom, counter with assist."

Firstly, she knew Houndoom did not naturally learn assist (after she'd seen it in his appeal, she went away and studied Houndoom intensively between battles in case she came up against it), and how on earth he taught it to his new Pokémon she would never know. Secondly, the fact he would have gone out of his way to teach it could only have been to make a damning point to someone who had previously toyed with her, in a bitter, revenge is best served cold kind of way. Thirdly, pairing it with his Masquerain, who was ploughing away with powerful silver winds to back him up, left May no room to keep on her feet. She fell back onto one of the benches, her eyes swelling with tears because finally, finally, everything Drew had done since they'd met made complete and perfect sense to her.

Harley was dumbfounded as the assist turned into Absol's razor wind, slicing through the thunder attack and breaking it apart, knocking Wigglytuff backward, not powerfully but enough to counter. Assist was a risky move, and Drew did not battle with risk. It could only have been to make a point.

"May?" Solidad turned to her and frowned. "May, why are you crying?" But May couldn't speak, she was busy trying to swallow back gulps of sobs that were fighting through her throat, because she did not want to be wailing when he came back to the waiting room. She shook her head wordlessly, and Solidad paused, and then smiled. "So you finally caught on."

"I knew… there was something" May breathed, hiccupping a little. "I just didn't… I didn't realise."

"You didn't realise how much" Solidad filled in, and May flushed, nodding. "I figured it out some time before the Kanto Grand Festival, when he talked about something to do with some Wynauts. I mean, I'd known he was attracted to you before then, but…"

Harley had seemingly come to the same conclusion as May, on stage. He was nearly pulling his hair out, screeching how of course boyfriend planned his attacks in order to get some petty revenge for some stunt he pulled years ago, and how rude and obnoxious little boyfriend could be, and couldn't he just let the past go already, but Drew just stood there with his arms folded and an eyebrow raised in what May recognised as the stance he took when he was bored, and he called out a dark pulse attack that ended the match fairly quickly after all those nasty plots had built Houndoom up. He didn't say anything for a while as he was announced the winner, just returning his Pokémon and thanking them with a low hum. May, Solidad and Marina watched the screen with bated breath, waiting for some kind of fall out or brawl.

" _The best part of that match, I think, personally_ " Drew said, in a light, measured tone; he almost sounded cheerful. May could barely believe what she was hearing, and was convinced it must have been a fault in the speakers. " _Was that I did not trick you, or lie to you, or manipulate you in anyway. I was just a lot better than you_."

"Let's stop talking about this" May hissed through her teeth, seeing the two coordinators leaving the stage, Harley very clearly furious. "Let's stop talking about this, right now." She stood, removing her bandana swiftly and rubbing it over her face to try and stem the tears, trying to convince herself that if she believed she hadn't been sobbing, maybe no one else would think it either.

Harley stormed past them without even looking at May, the noise of doors slamming behind him louder than thunderclaps. May winced at the sound, and she could tell Solidad was torn between dashing after him and seeing the aftermath between herself and Drew. Marina dropped herself down onto a bench, watching with a fascinated, wide smile.

Drew appeared shortly after, looking a lot more relaxed than May had seen him in a long time. His eyes went straight to her, and he coughed to hide his laughter. It was the most open and unguarded he'd been towards her through the whole festival, and her heart hammered at the sight.

"You were totally crying again, weren't you? You need to stop being such a wimp, May."

* * *

Drew was a little surprised that, while sat on a bench in the waiting room, his thoughts were interrupted than none other than Max Maple, who practically hopped into the seat next to him, greeting him cheerfully.

"Hiya Drew!" Max chirped, grinning at him conspiratorially. "Security here is pretty lax, huh?"

"Apparently so," Drew replied slowly, raising an eyebrow. "Can I help you?"

"Well, last time May faced Solidad, she had a bit of a meltdown in the corridor coming out." Max was far too nonchalant on the subject, but Drew didn't care to press. "So if she loses I want to be there, and if she wins I definitely want to be there. Plus, I've never gotten to watch from backstage before, so I want to."

"I guess you're… here then" Drew conceded, a little awkward.

"Yup!" Max was either completely oblivious to Drew's discomfort, or didn't really care. Regardless, he settled himself down happily to watch the penultimate quarter final match. May looked nervous, but grounded, as she stared down the top coordinator on the other side of the match, and was clearly trying to forget that they were also very close friends. As they called out their Pokémon, Drew winced. Solidad had called on Slowking and Ampharos, both high levelled and clearly well trained. May called out Munchlax and Venusaur, and Drew got this sudden, overwhelming feeling she'd not learnt a single thing since the Kanto Grand Festival, although he knew it couldn't possibly be true. "Venusaur!" Max clearly didn't share his concern. "Wow, I didn't realise Bulbasaur had evolved so much!"

"Her squirtle is also now a wartortle" Drew added helpfully, and Max made another awed sound.

The battle started quickly - May immediately started charging a double solar beam, which Ampharos deflected by shooting off Zap Cannons that took a few attempts to block the beams. May lost points for the dud move, but Solidad lost points too, because her counter block had low accuracy and it made the whole move look messy, but it was the only move she had strong enough to block off a double solar beam. It turned into a fairly gruelling battle, much more even than the battle Drew witnessed in Kanto, at least, although it still seemed like Solidad had the upper hand and May's suddenly renewed, overtly offensive strategy was letting her down again. Solidad seemed just as disappointed as Drew, and a crackly conversation could be heard through the speakers.

" _I honestly thought you'd gotten past this, May_ " Solidad called forward, frowning. " _You know better_."

" _If I can't beat you with the strategy that comes naturally to me, I haven't really beat you_ " May informed her firmly, her fist clenched. " _I am going to battle you with Munchlax, who you beat last time, and Venusaur, who I've been told won't suit contests, time and time again. Because they deserve this win just as much as I do, after all this time. It's not about what will make me win, it's about winning with the Pokémon who got me here!_ "

" _Admirable, but ethics don't win trophies, May_!" Solidad gave a short laugh, like she should have expected it. Max looked up at his sister with bright, shining eyes, and Drew also had to repress a smile. She never failed to surprise him, but by that point, he should have learnt to expect it.

The battle raged on. May seemed like she might have been pulling back some ground, after Venusaur landed some sinful toxic attacks that caught Solidad off guard, and Munchlax landed a particularly tough focus punch when Ampharos was preoccupied. The points seemed to be evening out, and Solidad's usually cast iron defence was slipping. Max was getting jittery and excited next to him, which ordinarily would have irritated Drew, except he was just as on the edge of his seat as his unwelcome companion, drawn to the upset that would be May overcoming Solidad with the same strategy that had foiled her the first time around.

"My sister is pretty damn cool, huh?" Max bragged happily, jabbing Drew in the ribs pointedly. He didn't reply, but Drew's quiet smirk told Max that he agreed wholeheartedly. Another well placed Focus Punch. A surprise Frenzy Plant. A final double solar beam that Solidad didn't have the accuracy to block.

The timer ended, and May had beaten out Solidad with sheer force, brute strength, determination and an unwavering belief in her Pokémon, and Drew could barely believe his eyes.

* * *

Max and Caroline were sat in front of them, while May and Norman sat in the row behind, quietly watching the semi-final match between Drew, and some coordinator that May had never really noticed before. She should have, because he was a tough competitor, but she'd just never clocked his face before. But his Quagsire and his Umbreon were falling hard against Drew's Roserade and Butterfree, and May recalled being beaten by that very combination of Pokémon the last time they had battled."

"He's really good, isn't he?" Norman had his eyes narrowed in the way he did whenever he tried to be critical, but was struggling. "You know, when your mother told me about him I really wanted to dislike him, but his focus is admirable."

"You know, ever since you've gotten here you've talked more about Drew than you have about, I don't know, me." May pouted a little, but cheered with the crowd as Drew landed a particularly effective psychic attack. As the cheers died down, Norman looked at her, a little bemused.

"May, I'm trying to keep up to date with you" Norman sighed, running fingers gruffly through his hair. "What can I say about your battling that honestly you wouldn't rather hear from one of your rivals? What can I saw about your life that will actually get a response from you, other than this Drew that apparently your mother is already planning the wedding for?"

"Oh Mew, she isn't is she?" May felt the blood drain from her face, and Norman shrugged. "Dad, that just… it isn't true. Sure, my rivals are my best source of improving myself, but I want to hear you in all this too."

"I don't know the first thing about coordinating, May" Norman replied honestly, joining a round of polite applause as Drew landed another critical hit, though neither of them had been watching. "What can I offer you?"

"I just…" May floundered, not sure how much she could say without getting upset. "When I left home, I didn't really like Pokémon, you know that. Frankly, I thought if I went travelling and got out, and had my own Pokémon, maybe you'd stop shoving them down my throat. But then when I realised there was a way I could be into it, and then suddenly found myself in love with everything I was doing in contests, all I wanted was this recognition from you that I'd become the kid you'd wanted." She paused, sniffing a little. "Before I got on board with it all it kinda felt like you were disappointed I wasn't the person you wanted me to be. And sure, I never became a great trainer, but I became great at something, and I wanted you to be proud of that."

"May, I was proud of you long before you left on your journey" Norman replied firmly, gripping her shoulders tightly. "And I would have been proud of you if you'd loved Pokémon or if you'd developed some deep, unending phobia of them that scarred you for life. Seeing you find joy in something that has filled my life with joy? Yes, it's wonderful. But I would have loved you the same, and thought of you the same if you hadn't. That doesn't mean I can offer you wonderful advice, however, when it comes to coordinating."

"I don't want your advice, I've never wanted that" May replied softly, swallowing heavily. "I just wanted to hear that. And now I have, so that's good, I guess."

"How are you one of the smartest people I know, and one of the dumbest people I know, all at the same time?" Norman asked with a derisive snort, wrapping an arm around his eldest child. May laughed.

"Dunno. You made me. Kinda got a lot to answer for." She flashed her eyes up towards him. "You don't have to talk about the guy I like to be able to have a meaningful conversation with me. I'll respond to a lot more than that."

"So," Norman suddenly grinned, and May realised her mistake. "You finally admit it."

"Great," May deadpanned, turning back to the battle in a huff. "The first person I actually properly admit it to, and it's my own bloody father."

* * *

May's own semi-final match had finally arrived, and the thought of facing Drew in the final left her in a nervous sweat. But before she could think about that, she knew Marina wouldn't make it an easy battle for her. Glaceon had been eager to take on their new rival again, and May had been looking forward to pairing Delcatty with her, her two quadruped, cat like Pokémon poised together. Marina had sent out her Smoochum, Chumee, and her Arcanine, Archy, and May was fully aware they were the highest levelled Pokémon she'd ever faced. May dug her heels into the ground, and called her first move.

The battle was intense, even more so than their first, and May found every combination she tried to pull through ended with Marina blocking with a wide, anticipating smirk. It was becoming a bother, and she was losing points as a result. Suddenly, after what felt like a minute of Marina sizing up her new combinations, she switched tactics drastically, and combinations of Smoochum's ice beam and Arcanine's fire spin were catching May off guard, knocking Glaceon critically and leaving Delcatty with only a split second to dodge - she was lucky Delcatty was as fast as she was. May glanced up at Marina, hoping to find some friendly reassurance that the tension was only in the battle, and not something unresolved, but found a stern, fixed frown that threw her for a moment.

She's been planning this.

May knew she was naturally gullible and naive, and it was no secret she was open with her friends and struggled to battle them (unless they were Drew, which she lived for). But to have burrowed in close, only to soak up all the information about her battling as possible and throw it back at her in a semi-final was jarring, but May didn't have time to process.

"You seemed to understand the passive aggression in Drew and Harley's match," Marina taunted, her fist clenched tightly. "So I was hoping you'd pick up on mine too."

She was even using fire and ice combinations, which May had used to beat her the first time around. May grunted with the shock of her mistake. She had taken this competitor too lightly, and not noticed the edge to their previous conversations. She had been lulled. It was like Hoenn Grand Festival against Harley all over again, and it made her head ache. Determined not to lose to someone who snuck under her feet like that, May jumped back.

"Delcatty, use heal bell for both you and Glaceon" she ordered quickly. "Refresh yourselves. Then I need you both running. I need you doing the opposite of our normal strategy. I need you moving too fast for her to lock in on you."

"Have you forgotten how fast Arcanine can be?" Marina seemed a little too happy. "Archy, use extreme speed on that Delcatty!"

"Delcatty, counter with sucker punch, quick!" May was getting a little desperate, and it showed, but luckily Delcatty landed her hit, and Archy was knocked back a little, giving May a little more time.

* * *

"Marina got under her skin" Drew commented darkly, turning to Solidad with a slightly pained expression. It annoyed him that she'd picked seats directly in front of her parents, but he went along with it without complaining. Solidad nodded.

"Right. This could end pretty badly, Marina knows how May battles by now, and she's not willing to back down. This is a pride match, and Marina looks like she wants to draw blood after Blackthorn." Solidad was leaning forward now, engrossed in the back and forth. "Everything about it is really pointed. It's almost as obvious as when you used assist against Harley."

"We're gonna shut up. Right now." Drew didn't have the patience to have that conversation just yet. "May's new strategy is looking interesting though. She's just not stopping. Her Pokémon won't keep still, their momentum just keeps going."

"I think she's trying to wear Marina down, though that won't work with an arcanine on the field. If she can clear Archy away, she's got a chance."

* * *

"You know what I love about this situation?" Marina catcalled, as Delcatty tucked and rolled to dodge a flame burst from Archy. "It's how well the seeding worked out for me, in terms of dramatic irony. Because first, I get to beat you, and prove you lucked out, and then I get to beat your boyfriend, and show that I deserved to be the number one seed."

"You are literally so annoying" May replied gruffly. "No one cares about your weirdly well thought out motivations."

"You're going to lose, May" Marina told her forcefully, while Smoochum charged up another psychic attack. "You're going to lose, and then you're going to cry about it, like you cried about a dweeb using assist."

"Hey, only I get to call him a dweeb!" May suddenly shot back, feeling slightly violated. "Delcatty, keep running. Glaceon, sneak in there with an iron tail on Archy and shut her up!"

* * *

"Do you have any idea what they're saying?" Max leant forward to Solidad and Drew, who looked just as baffled as he did. "They're too far away from the microphones."

"I heard the word dweeb" Solidad offered meekly. Drew blinked, not sure how to react. "I think that's all we're going to get. That iron tail hit the mark though, May must be getting pretty furious."

* * *

"Getting tense, May from Petalburg? Only twenty seconds left!" Marina trilled, her hands finding her hips. "Alright, Chumee, I need you to slow them down with psychic!"

"Mirror coat, Glaceon, take it head on!" May countered swiftly. Glaceon absorbed the attack seamlessly, blasting it back towards Archy, before continuing to dash around the field, weaving in and out of Delcatty's path. Marina gritted her teeth, Archy taking the big hit uncomfortably.

"Archy, stop them with flame burst, fill the field!" Marina retorted, getting a little sloppy. But Delcatty and Glaceon were difficult to hit, moving targets, and Chumee got caught in the aftershock, embers roasting the small Pokémon. Chumee yelped, surprised, and Archy jumped to attention, apologetic. Marina's points plummeted, and May saw her chance.

"Now, Delcatty, Glaceon, twin Iron Tails!" May ordered, enthused. The speed they'd gained from their constant moving threw them forwards, and in the distraction, they hit their mark with ease, throwing the two higher levelled Pokémon backwards.

 **And our timer has run out! With a late surge, May from Petalburg has knocked back our home grown champ, Marina! What an amazing upset!**

May could barely breathe, the most overwhelming feeling of relief rippling through her chest as she fell to her knees. It had been a draining, terrifying match, one that May would never have forgiven herself if she lost. Delcatty and Glaceon padded across to her, both exhausted, and they collapsed into her lap together, panting slightly.

"Oh guys," she murmured, rubbing their foreheads softly. "You were so perfect. It's done now. You did it."

* * *

The waiting room was empty when May got there, but she supposed there was no one left to wait. The last day of battles was coming the next morning, and the only competitors left were her and Drew. He'd be training by now, she imagined. He'd have something up his sleeve for her, and she had to be ready for him. Taking a moment, she sat on the benches, staring blankly at the screens showing little recaps, highlights of her performance, alongside Drew's, so far, and comparing who might make it out at the end. They even had clips from Hoenn and Kanto, and it all made May feel a little sick.

She was in the final. She'd never been in the final before. There was this numbing, painful closeness to the end that left her aching, but she knew it wouldn't have mattered if she won if she hadn't beaten Drew at some point along the way. It wouldn't have counted, in her head. It wouldn't have been real.

"Your battle style is chaotic." The interruption to her thoughts made her jump, and she yelped a little, louder than she wanted to admit. Turning quickly, she saw the last person she'd expected to see. "You've changed tactics with every battle you've had. It's been emotive battling, unstructured and frivolous."

"Well, it got me to the final" May countered softly, standing politely. "You must be very proud of Drew, Mr Hayden."

"I am," he replied deftly, tucking strands of that familiar hair colour behind his ear. "But I'm not here to talk about Drew, I'm here to try and figure you out."

"There isn't much to decode, sir" May returned respectfully, watching her tone. "Drew will be the first to tell you I'm pretty simple."

"I'm sure," he snorted, and she was painfully reminded of her first meeting with Drew, with his derisive and dismissive arrogance which pained her and made her want to prove all those negative assumptions wrong. May found herself grinding her teeth, and had to remind herself to stop. "I felt I should introduce myself, at any rate. My son appears to be fond of you."

"Well, he's been very good to me" May replied honestly, looking away. "And I like to think I've been good to him too."

"Congratulations, on winning your match, May" Mr Hayden seemed tired, but still wary of her. "I'm looking forward to the final tomorrow."

"As am I," she nodded, ducking her head. "Thank you." She didn't lift her head until she was sure he was gone, and then scowled in the direction he'd left.

* * *

 **The Grand Festival: Final**

* * *

 **Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the final of our Grand Festival today! Here we have Drew Hayden, from La Rousse City in Hoenn, facing off against May Mable, from Petalburg City, also in Hoenn! He's known for his legions of fans and cool, calculated battling, and she's known for her title, Princess of Petalburg and her passionate, adaptive style! And of course, they're both known for a rivalry that have seen them face off in two Grand Festivals prior to this! There's no telling the outcome when these two face, so let's see their Pokémon!**

"Flygon, Absol, let's go!" Drew called, tossing his pokeballs high, watching her face to see her reaction. It was disbelief, mixed with amusement, and she cracked a smile.

"Blaziken," she began, and he steeled himself, hoping he'd been wrong. "Wartortle." He kicked himself. They both needed to stop being so sentimental. "Take the stage!" In the few moments they had left before the timer began, they both burst into nervous laughter, because it was too perfect, too scripted, and too like the pair of them to want to relive the moment they recognised they were equals at this moment where they had to distinguish that they weren't. The judges seemed confused, and the audience a little baffled, but May actually holding her gut she was laughing so hard, and Drew thought he might have given himself a hernia.

"Jeez May, you'd think we'd planned it" he snorted, hiding his face behind his hands. It wasn't even all that funny, really. There was just so much tension that had built over the past few days, of forcing themselves to focus and ignore the painfully obvious, and it had finally seemed to clear.

"The only way this could be worse is if we had Beautifly and Masquerain using silver wind together," May giggled, her cheeks flushed a bright, shimmering red. "Oh man, we have to battle."

"We have to battle," Drew was still sniggering behind his hands. "Get serious Maple, honestly."

"Well, at least the ice broke!" She chimed, settling, and so did he. Somewhat apologetically, they turned towards the announcer and nodded.

 **Alright… Alright! The timer, starts, now!**

* * *

" _You shouldn't have a problem beating her," his father told him briskly, sitting by him as he polished his pokeballs nervously. "You have every advantage. You know her too well."_

" _She knows me pretty well too, Dad" Drew replied, reasonably. "Besides, she's given so many contrasting performances this season, both in quality and in technique. I have no idea what she's going to throw at me."_

" _You're blinded by your affection for her," his father chastised, walking around the room a little. Drew scowled at him, frustrated. "This is what I meant, when I warned you. I knew she'd throw you off."_

" _She doesn't throw me off, Dad" Drew replied gruffly, minimising the Pokeball. "If anything, keeping ahead of her became one of my biggest motivations along the way. I love battling her, its how I always thought contest battles should be. And at the end of it, she's the first person who wants to compliment my Pokémon, to encourage me further, and to guess what I'm thinking about it before I can say it. And she's kept be in check. I was pushing Absol too hard, in Kanto, and it wasn't right. And she was the only one who was straight with me. She keeps me on my toes, and you're not going to tell me that's a distraction when she's more of a motivation than you've ever been."_

* * *

"Absol, counter that blaze kick with razor wind! And Flygon, get on the offensive, use flamethrower!" Drew paused, frowning. "And straight after, I want you right into dragon formation!"

* * *

" _Now then." Following her match with Marina, May felt weirdly at peace. There was a set amount of outcomes now, and while the thought of losing was an excruciating twinge in her side, there was a feeling of familiarity that came with the thought of battling Drew again like this. It was right, and it was how things were supposed to line up. "Wartortle, I need your aqua tail to work like bubble beam used to, and same goes for your overheat and how it worked with fire spin. I want to update our old party trick…"_

* * *

"Blaziken, charge up that overheat, and Wartortle, get ready with aqua tail!" May's commands were slick, and Drew half knew what to expect, though a little unsure how the format would translate with the new moves. He called to his Pokémon to go on defence, but even he couldn't have anticipated the power of their revised combination. The furious orb of flames that Blaziken gave off was batted towards him with the power of a swirling aqua tail, twirling like a cage around the powerful fire type attack, giving off that signature crackle of her fire and water fusion.

* * *

" _So what will you do next?" He asked, sitting silently by his son, feeling thoroughly embarrassed. Drew shrugged. "Will you come home?" Roserade had clearly tired of this conversation, and pottered out of the door unseen._

" _I don't know yet, Dad." His words were a little sharper than he'd wanted. "Let's just see how tomorrow ends up first. Come on, I need to eat. Let's go."_

* * *

"Flygon, no!" The combination had knocked out his dragon type, losing him his aerial advantage, and May knew it, grinning at him stupidly. "Absol, take out Wartortle, use your night slash!"

* * *

 _Wartortle was the first to spot the intruder, and loudly exclaimed to May, tugging on her hand and pointing towards where Roserade was watching them curiously, with a slightly tilted head. May paused, but smiled, and moved towards the familiar Pokémon with a soft touch and a warm look. Roserade cooed up at her pleasantly, having always thought well of her trainer's rival._

" _Roserade, hello" May greeted kindly, sitting cross legged in front of her. "I'm really glad to see you, actually. I have a little favour I'd like to ask of you."_

* * *

"Wartortle, no!" May swore under her breath; she'd lost her advantage. Returning her Wartortle with a warm hum of thanks against the Pokeball, she turned to Blaziken with a flourish. "Right, now we get interesting. Blaziken, use your brick break!"

* * *

 _Drew had finally shaken his father, dropping him off at the hotel after a very small, unappetising meal. He'd had no problem with the food, but as much as he hated to admit it, his stomach was in knots. Roserade was flat out on his bed, snoring a little, which was always an entertaining sight to return to, but then stopped at the sight of something resting atop his bedside table, glowing in a ring of light from the lamp next to it._

 _It was a perfect rose, not unlike those that Roserade would provide him with to gift to May, with a small scrap of paper next to it, a little crumpled. He dropped his jacket over the end of the bed as he moved to pick it up, rubbing the note between his fingers to smooth it out as he frowned at it._

' _ **It's for your Masquerain, dummy. Good luck tomorrow! I'm really looking forward to our battle. See you on the battlefield, dweeb!'**_

* * *

Absol artfully dodged Blaziken's brick break, and the two were back to square one, facing off with tight focus and vicious tension between the two of them. May had lost her bouncy edge, and was fully driven into the match, a mere minute left on the clock and far too even points. There was a moment of pause between them, where Blaziken was focused entirely on Absol, and Drew was focused completely on May. The drive that seemed to link them together felt supernatural, and May was hit by this deep, powerful desperation to win that soaked her through every pore in her body, filling her stomach with ropes that knotted together in heavy, uncomfortable lumps. She'd never felt it before.

Blaziken seemed to respond to her surge of pain, because he looked back at her, linking every emotion they had together. They were bound. Since the moment that little Torchic had shown her how wonderful Pokémon could be, they had been bound. She didn't need to call out to him, or think, or even gesture, to convey the gratitude she felt. It merely existed between them, two partners stood side by side.

As Blaziken began to glow, so did Absol, and May knew she wasn't alone in her emotive state.

There were screams in the audience, awe and shock as new forms of the two Pokémon stood, eye to eye. Absol had gained lithe wings and a much sharper, stronger blade to contend with, and Blaziken's embers flew behind him like ribbons, celebrating his unquenchable strength as he tested a few kicks. It was unexpected, and unwarranted, and both coordinators shared looks of panic and baffled wonder, but they didn't have long to dwell.

"Blaziken," May cried, reaching forward.

"Absol!" Drew seemed to mimic her body language, twisted towards her with his fist pushed forward.

"Go!"

The two Pokémon collided with each other with terrifying speed and power. They rebounded back, but flew straight back in, like they were attached by elastic bands, and the further away they got, the harder they flew back towards each other, each collision impossible to gauge and judge because they just moved too fast. Every step this new Absol seemed to make, Blaziken matched with fury, but neither seemed anywhere close to breaking when the timer finally buzzed.

The two Pokémon flew back to the sides of their trainers, pausing with a little shortness of breath. May felt her arm twist around her Blaziken as they stared up at the scoreboard, the marks identical and perfectly united. There was a ripple of unrest through the crowds.

 **We… we seem to have a perfect tie! We'll just have to wait a few moments while the Judges confer, please bear with us.**

Even the announcer was lost, drawn to these indestructible specimens of Pokémon that no one could explain. Feeling a strange, exhilarating pounding in her chest, May ran forwards and grabbed the hand of the announcer, asking her to please, just give her a few moments before they give any final confirmation as to who won. Once the announcer had nodded dumbly back at her, May smiled gratefully, moving to the middle of the arena and turning to face her rival. Understanding, Drew moved towards her, stood with his radically altered Absol hovering behind him, as Blaziken did for her.

"No matter who wins," she said softly, wanting them to be words shared between the two of them. "That was, undeniably, the greatest battle I've ever had."

"Without question," Drew nodded, reaching forward to shake her hand. She took it, feeling the last of the breath leave her body, as their hands remained clasped in a sweaty, nervous grip. "That was indescribable. Thank you."

"Thank you," May echoed, before turning to the announcer with a grim, reluctant nod.

 **Ladies and Gentlemen, I am proud to announce the winner of the Johto Grand Festival is,**

"It's gonna be you" May realised with a sharp, painful stab, and Drew watched her face carefully.

 **Drew Hayden, of La Rousse City!**

While the audience erupted, Drew didn't move, his hand still fastened around May's. She was silent, staring at the giant scoreboard that was filled with a face that wasn't hers, and words of victory that were not written for her. She shivered slightly, but turned to face him, watching his blank, curious expression, and with a thudding realisation, she knew it was the face she wore when she had beaten him.

 _Is this okay?_

Pursing her lips, she stared him right in the eye and nodded, firmly. His face cracked, filling with the most beautiful smile she'd ever seen as he broke away from her, embracing his Absol with a kind of abandon she thought impossible for him. Blaziken's claw met her shoulder, gently, and she looked up at her partner as a light faded somewhere, and he returned to the form she was familiar with. Somehow, she didn't question it.

"Come on, Blaziken," May murmured, linking her arm together with his. He puffed a warm breath over her that warmed her to the core. "Nothing left to do here. We have some planning to do."

They walked away silently, two partners stood together.

* * *

 **The Grand Festival: Closing Ceremonies**

* * *

She hadn't met his eyes when he'd accepted the ribbon cup the next day, and had ducked away demurely as they shone the light to her to congratulate the runner up. Ordinarily, he would have pictured her waving, smiling, and making a huge effort to put across that she was alright with the way things had ended, but she couldn't even manage that, and it left him to stew. Afterwards, he'd checked her dorm room but she'd already left, and he presumed she would have been dragged down to the after party by her family.

But everywhere he looked, it seemed he had just missed her.

When he found her parents, Caroline told him that after she'd forced her into a dress, Solidad came along and whisked her away to dance. But by the time he'd tracked down Solidad, May had apparently gone to speak with Max. After speaking to Max, it became clear she'd already left the party, clearly in a somewhat sombre mood from the anxious look he kept throwing to the door.

So he left for the place he'd really hoped she wouldn't be, which was stood out in the surf, the sun beginning to dip in the horizon, with the streaks of burnt orange sunset streaking towards her in the sky; after a while, the summery hues had become synonymous with her in his mind. Her Beautifly was fluttering around above the surf, and she was training, ordering their signature silver wind to fly up into the darkening sky, filling it with shimmering, glittery gusts that were carried away in the sea breeze. She didn't notice him approach, or at least if she did, she pretended not to.

"I never really liked parties," he told her gruffly, pulling his shoes and socks off neatly and rolling the lining of his suit trousers up to stand with her in the tide. Her dress was very simple, a loosely cut, white, flimsy fabric that pressed against her figure when the wind caught it, leaving it to billow behind her. Her hair seemed untouched, and he imagined she'd fought her mother off fiercely to leave it be.

"Even ones thrown for you?" May replied softly, giving a light, airy laugh. He looked at her, worried. "I'm not sad Drew. Honestly. I'm really, really happy for you."

"You were really great" he tried to begin, but she shook her head, still laughing.

"It was a really good battle, and there's no shame in losing a good battle, remember?" Her words left Drew silent, so they just looked out over the sea for a moment while he tried to think up something new to say.

"Considering you thought you were going to miss the Grand Festival," he commented dryly. "I think you can chalk this year as a win."

"Not quite, I made too many mistakes early on" May replied bluntly, fiercely self-critical. "I know what I need to do next though. I've never known that before. I let everyone else drive my decisions, until now."

"What do you mean?" He looked to her curiously, a little apprehensive of where she was going.

"When I started travelling, I did it to get away from my dad. I didn't even like Pokémon" May admitted with a shrug. "When that changed, and I started entering contests, I just wanted to prove to my dad I was good enough. And then I followed Ash to Kanto because it was the natural progression, and suddenly it became about catching you, and then Solidad. So I followed you to Johto. It was never about me, or about my Pokémon. It was about comparing myself to the milestones I'd seen in everyone else." She turned to him sadly, as though hating the words she was about to say. "I didn't sleep last night, thinking about this Drew. But I left Ash and Brock to learn how to battle independently, but I just fell under you instead. I was so desperate for you to be impressed by me that I forgot why I came here in the first place." A lack of sleep had left her shrewd and humourless, and it cut him sharper than he thought possible.

"But you brought it back, May" Drew said quickly, trying to stop the outcome of the conversation he knew, he just knew was coming. "There's nothing wrong with being influenced by the people around you. You influence me all the time."

"I influence you" she nodded, looking back out into the sea. "I don't stop you from failing a whole season though."

"You weren't failing, you just needed a new direction" Drew argued back, grabbing her wrist in an attempt to get her attention. "May I really need you to look at me because I don't like what you're saying."

"I know" her words were almost lost in the choke of a sob, and he couldn't bear it because suddenly she was crying and he felt himself coming close to it too. "I know, I know exactly how much you hate it. Because I saw it the second you pulled out that assist against Harley, and by now, you have to know that it's the same for me too." He dropped her wrist but brought his fingers to her shoulder, brushing it gently, but she pushed his hand away, still crying. "I've never wanted it this much. I realised during our battle just how much I wanted to win, not to impress my dad, or you, but to win for me, and for the Pokémon who brought me there. My dad knew a little about what happened to Absol, and Blaziken, during our battle." Her words became rambling and a little incoherent, but she knew he would understand them because he always did. "It's called Mega Evolution. Ordinarily, there needs to be these stones or something, but it can happen without them. It's a reaction between a Pokémon and their trainer, of their ultimate bond." May's eyes shimmered with the tears she was trying to blink back, and a gust of wind caught in her hair at the perfect moment that made her glow, and Drew felt his heart crumbling. "So I'm going to Kalos. Apparently, there are researchers there who know more about it. And there are no contests, so there's no reason for you to follow me if I tell you not to. I'm going, and I'll come back when I know I can do all of this without you putting me back together every time I see you."

"I really," he inhaled sharply, trying to control the waver in his voice, "really need you to not do this. I really need you to stay. Or let me come with you."

"But I really need to leave" she replied, miserable, and a fresh bubble of tears trickled down her cheeks. "I need to be the rival you deserve before I can be anything else to you. I need to know I can stand up and say I can match you without you carrying me to the finish line."

"You are so much more than the rival I deserve May, you always have been." He was getting desperate, and it came through in anger, as he pushed away and kicked out at the water, spraying it outwards. It did nothing to calm him. "We were just getting there, May. After all these years, we were really getting there."

"I know." May's whisper was nearly swallowed in the gushes of wind from the ocean, but he heard her. Everything about her voice seemed hollow and defeated, and she could barely look at him without choking on sobs. "That's what makes this so awful." Drew couldn't think how he could convince her, how he could plead or beg any differently that would change her mind, so he settled for not looking at her, listening to the slosh of the water leaving her feet as she returned to the sandy beach, scooping up her shoes and beginning to walk away. He exhaled sharply through his nose, leaving her to pause and turn back to him. In a last, fraying thread of hope, he turned back around to face her.

"I hope you don't think I'm sad because I lost," she said firmly, ticking some stray hair behind her ear with a smile. "Because honestly, I don't think I've ever met someone who deserves the title top coordinator more than you, and it was an honour to be a part of you receiving it. Congratulations, Drew."

She shuffled back towards the city, headed straight for the dorm rooms. Drew couldn't breathe, let alone move, so silently, he watched her potter away.

* * *

 **Goodbye**

* * *

It was hard to pin down how he felt for longer than a few seconds. In one moment, Drew was dizzy with how elated he was; years of work towards a single goal had gifted him with the title he'd always wanted, the proof his mother was never greater than him, and the satisfaction of knowing he had given his Pokémon the platform to prove the potential they had all mixed together in a swirl in his head that left him a little lightheaded. A moment later, he was filled with the nerves that Solidad had warned him about, the pressure of meeting the expectation that was then thrust upon you, media pressure suddenly everywhere he looked and speculation as to where he'd travel next. He already knew he'd be going to Sinnoh, to see what super contests would be like and for a change of pace, although it was jarring to think May wouldn't be competing alongside him. And then the next moment, all he could think of was May, and her hair in the sea breeze and her tearfully pushing him away, unsure if he'd ever understand. It was bad enough that she was leaving, but it was worse that she'd thought he wouldn't understand, when he had. It was the most astute observation she'd ever made about herself, and it left his chest to sag that he recognised she was doing the right thing for herself. Selfishly, he wished he was wrong. He'd packed up most of his stuff already. Nurse Joy was giving his Pokémon a last check up before he headed for Sinnoh, passing on the option of returning to La Rousse between seasons. He wanted to get straight back into training, anything to distract himself. There was a ferry to Snowpoint City in the next week or so, and he would get that as the time rolled around. For then, he could wander the Whirl Islands and enjoy his last days with May.

He was sat in the lobby of the Pokémon Center, flicking through Coordinator's Weekly's review of his battle. It echoed a little of what May said, about Mega Evolution, and tried to relay the intense, electric atmosphere that passed between them in the battle, but there weren't words that could convey it in his opinion, so he was quick to skim past it.

"Drew" a sad, slightly muted voice caught his attention, and he looked up quickly. Solidad. "I didn't think you'd be here."

"How come?" He frowned, standing awkwardly as she blinked disbelievingly, unsure how to get the words out. "Sol, what's the problem?"

"She left for the port about half an hour ago" Solidad filled in anxiously. "May. I thought you would have met her there. I thought she would have told you."

It was very easy for Drew to pin down how he'd felt in that moment.

He'd never sprinted so hard in his life. He didn't understand why she'd done it, really, like the night before had been a real goodbye, or that she'd given him the chance to make himself clear. He needed the chance to make himself clear. Never in his life had he so desperately wished he'd had Flygon with him, to shoot himself across to the port faster, to even chase after the ferry if he was too late. Kalos. Where was the port in Kalos? Where would the ferry say it was going - he needed to know before he checked the departure boards. It was one of the few regions he knew an embarrassing little about, just that it was nearly half a world away. City names blurred in his head, and none of them even sounded real. The floor wasn't moving underneath him fast enough, the port wasn't coming into view quick enough, he could see a boat and hear the foghorns, somewhere, in the back of his mind, he cursed May for ever joking that they'd been calling out to him because it felt like they were now.

The port waiting room, where the ticket office was, was empty, which Drew took as a bad sign. There was a weird looking city name that claimed to be boarding, so Drew took that as his sign and ignored the ticket officer's yells that he could only go that way if he had a ticket. He didn't know what he expected, as though he'd catch her as she began to step onto the ship, or they would have some romantic, fleeting goodbye as he waved to her from the pier with her waving as she leant over the railings, but he was so pleased that she seemed to be grumpily stuck at the back of a slow moving line which was boarding one at a time, a particularly slow official checking the tickets painstakingly carefully.

"May," he breathed, suddenly aware how out of breath he was. "May." It was the only word he seemed to remember at that point, and she was staring at him and blinking barely concealed surprise, and the other passengers were looking at her questioningly as she hovered from one foot to the other, looking embarrassed.

"I wasn't expecting you to come" she told him softly, a little confused. "Why are you here? You can't convince me to stay."

"I'm not here to convince you of anything" he promised, still panting a little. "I am in way worse shape than I should be. Wow. I need to start jogging or something I think I might be dying."

"I'm sure you're fine." She'd gone from confused to stifling laughter behind her hands, and he knew he'd gotten somewhere at least. "Why are you here?"

"Well you know, foghorns," he shrugged, and she laughed harder. "They just call out to me."

"Drew, I never thought I'd be the one telling you to be serious." She glanced from side to side, still chuckling, but ducked out of the queue and moved to the back, dragging him along with her. "Please," she asked gently, stood near the tip of the pier with him. "Why are you here?"

"If that was goodbye, it was a bullshit goodbye" he told her firmly, and she was a little taken back with his direct words. "I have been trying, basically since I met you, to combine a way of telling you how I felt while retaining dignity but I don't really have time to figure out that compromise right now, so I'm just going to have to tell you and I'm humiliated because I really prefer for people to think I don't have emotions and I'm just devilishly handsome and cool, and without any vulnerabilities."

"Well your secret is safe with me," May mumbled meekly.

"But that's just it, isn't it" he continued, barely hearing her. "You are my vulnerability. You are the weakness. You're the distraction my Dad warned me about."

"Well I'm sorry," she retorted, her voice strained. "Maybe with me gone you can get past that."

"I don't ever," he cupped her face, dying to make her understand, "ever, want to get past that. I need you to tell me you'll come back."

"Come back where?" May blinked, her eyes watering. He shrugged.

"Wherever," Drew laughed, feeling sick. "Literally, wherever. Hell, I'll come find you. Just come back."

"I will." Her voice had faded to a faint whisper, letting her face rest in his hands. "I swear I will. I need to beat you next time."

"Damn right you do" Drew replied, his voice a little more forceful than he'd wanted. The line was finally shifting along, and their time was running short. "I was being really selfish last night. I think if this is what you need to do then that's okay, and I'm going to hate it but that's okay, I guess. It has to be and it'll be really good for you."

"I really want to kiss you goodbye," May mumbled, almost shy of him hearing her. "I really do. But if I do that I won't leave."

"Please, please don't say that when I'm trying really hard to make sure you get on the ferry." He glanced up, and the ticket officer gave them a pointed look. "Arceus, you're really going."

"Yeah," she was crying again, and he didn't think he'd ever get used to the sight. "I am."

"You know where to find me. You have my number. You have everyone's number. I… I need you to tell me if you change your mind at any point and I need to stop waiting because I won't otherwise."

"I won't change my mind" she assured him, and big, bulbous tears were falling in fat, hot drop between them. "I won't."

"When am I gonna bump into you next?" He asked teasingly, a vain last effort to make her laugh, and it worked, and she smiled. It was like they'd both memorised every conversation they'd had.

"When I stay on the mainland, for one thing" she giggled back, sniffing a little. "But I'll see you. Soon." She threw her arms around him, more sure and confidently than she had on his birthday, and he gripped her tight. "It will be soon." May pulled away anxiously, and she was the last passenger on the pier. Drew let go, pained. He couldn't look as she had her ticket checked, or started walking up the ramp, but he forced himself to watch the ship start moving, and to watch her lean out over the railings, waving to him.

"I never told you," he yelled, hopeful she could hear him over the foghorns. "They were never for Beautifly!"

"I'm not that stupid, you dweeb." May's response came in a burst of laughter as she threw her arms in the air, waving for as long as she could manage, before all that was left was a vague outline of May climbing onto the railings of the ship, stood leaning out over the sea slightly, embracing the salt spray and the breeze that caught her hair. Her left hand was balanced neatly atop her head as she held her well worn bandana in place. The green suited her, he thought. Green matched her eyes nicely.


	2. Sinnoh

**Sinnoh**

* * *

 **Welcome to Sinnoh**

* * *

When Drew had first arrived in Canalave City, his opinion on it had been pretty low. Roserade was sporting enough to keep an eye on him as he'd booked into the Pokémon Center, woozy and nauseous from the overnight ferry, and while he had a full day ahead of him that he could use, he knew better than to attempt anything after travelling so far by boat. He never particularly liked days where he got very little done, and so his first day in Sinnoh was one of frustration, frequent napping and lots of fluids. But the next day, when feeling a little brighter, he found himself quite enamoured with the place. The canal that drove its way through the heart of the place was beautiful, and full of rare aquatic Pokémon, and the city itself was charming and pretty, with terraced houses and intricate ironwork on the fences. The land was quite fertile, apparently, and late summer was just the time when berries were practically dripping from the bushes and trees that they passed, almost crumbling away into fingers as they were gently tugged. There was even a small, quiet coffee shop, close to the library, where Drew set himself up to sit peacefully while he worked on his plan. The coffee was lovely too, roasted locally, with a dark, earthy taste. It was much nicer than he'd expected, and while there was a certain amount of life to the place, it felt homely and subdued. He was very fond of it by the afternoon.

Every time he started in a new region, he began with the same routine. He would find somewhere quiet and unobtrusive, along with a map of the region and a calendar of the upcoming contests that season, and he would plan a route which would show him as much of the region as possible and allow him to attend the most contests he could - whether he competed in all of them was a separate manner, but watching contests was something he had found helpful as a coordinator since the beginning, and it allowed him space to observe his competition. So, he sat. The coffee shop by the library also had a nice little outdoor sitting area, with shade and a grassy slope leading to the canal, so Roserade lay out peacefully by the moving water while he planned his route. He was just jotting down an itinerary, and had his finger placed lightly on Floroma City on his map, when he heard a familiar, boyish yell and felt himself shiver violently. Ducking behind his map, he hoped very much he hadn't been spotted, and peered over the top of it to see the boy in question running along with a Kirlia tucked into his arms, giggling to himself in a low, just broken voice. Max Maple.

"Of course you're in Sinnoh," Drew muttered darkly under his breath, watching the boy scurry away. "Of course. That's exactly right. Because Arceus hates me, and wants me to suffer." He threw the map down, focusing on his coffee for a moment to give himself a second to absorb his agitation, wondering if May had told him that's where he'd be. Somehow he doubted it, but he imagined for a while she had to give himself a reason to be annoyed at her. It was easier than the alternative.

It wasn't long until he'd plotted out most of his route - though he did take a moment to wonder about the Pokémon here and what he might be able to add to his team. He'd brought Roserade, Flygon, Absol, Masquerade and Houndoom with him, which had only left him one slot, and he never liked carrying a full team around (it left him limited room to add to the team, and he didn't like to bother his father with swapping them around). He knew he had to think carefully about what Pokémon he added to his team, if any, and what he could achieve with that Pokémon. In either case, he needed to research the region a little more, to understand exactly what kinds of Pokémon he could encounter and where. He knew he might have to edit his route a little, but he could very easily rearrange it as he came up with new ideas - he just had a framework to base things off now.

So, he made his way across to Canalave Library. It was busier than he'd anticipated, but it wasn't hard to find a desk tucked away in a corner on the third floor, and he'd picked up a few Pokémon Encyclopaedias on his way up, along with a more extensive Atlas for Sinnoh that would give him some more in-depth information than the map he'd used at the coffee shop. He was just humming over the possibility of a Buizel (although memories of watching Ash perform in the Wallace Cup put him off a little) when his peace was interrupted, by the one person he'd really hoped to avoid as long as possible. The chair opposite him was dragged out without his consent, and the boy dropped himself into the seat with a big, irritating grin. Drew noted with delight that he was suffering from acne, as most fifteen year old boys did. But it didn't take away his presence, and so Drew sighed, and placed the encyclopaedia down gently, slipping his pencil inside so to keep his page.

"I didn't know you were coming to Sinnoh, Drew!" Max chirped, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms. "I'm surprised, I thought you'd be in Kalos with May."

"We aren't exactly joined at the hip, Max" Drew replied haughtily, taking on a defensive huff and arching his eyebrow pointedly. "There are no contests in Kalos."

"Of course." Max looked a little disappointed, and Drew paused. "Anyway, it's good to see you. How long have you been in Sinnoh?"

"I just got here yesterday. I'd planned to come a lot earlier, but instead of coming straight from the Grand Festival I spent a month or two training around the Whirl Islands" he explained dryly, not particularly wanting to be there.

"Oh cool, I just got in this morning from Ever Grande." Max continued their conversation obliviously. "I did okay - I got through the first few rounds but I didn't last long. Dad said it's to be expected of my first challenge, though."

"It is, I guess." Drew was bored, already.

"Have you heard from May at all?" Max seemed a little stuck, and Drew's curiosity began to build. "Like - has she called, or told you where she is, or… anything?"

"I saw her off at the harbour" Drew admitted quietly, rubbing the back of his neck a little. "She said she was going to Kalos to regroup and to figure out mega evolution. But she made it clear she wouldn't be contacting me for a while."

"Oh!" Max frowned, a little confused. "So it's not just me then."

"Wait, she's not spoken to you about any of this?" As much as he knew May wanted to build herself up privately, he was surprised she hadn't at least spoken to her brother. "That's strange."

"Well, Dad spent some time with her after the final match, privately. And then the next day Mom had to bribe her to get dressed for the closing ceremonies with food, but while that happened she told us she was going to Kalos next, and then the next day she was saying goodbye. We never really got it - well, Dad did - but me and Mom were left in the dark and she hasn't been heard from since." Max's ramblings gave Drew a pang of concern, but he steeled himself as best as he could, rubbing his thumb along the spine of one of his books. "Sorry, you probably don't want to hear me rambling about the family."

"No, it's fine" Drew replied gruffly, a little surprised to find he meant it. "You're worried about your sister, it's natural to want to talk about it."

"Right," Max nodded, glancing to the side. "I guess… Did she tell you why she was going?"

"Yeah." Drew pursed his lips. "I don't know. Maybe. Your sister is a confusing entity."

"You don't have to tell _me_ that" Max snorted along with him.

"She'll come back," Drew informed him confidently. Max blinked, but looked away. "She will. She wants to beat me too much to stay away long."

"That's true." Max was laughing now, but Drew offered him a cautious, stern look, trying to bring him back from thinking they were having a fun time together. "Hey, if she's likely to find you to beat you, and to find me because I'm her brother, if we travelled together she's bound to come to us at some point, maybe we should…"

"Pass." Drew didn't even look up. "Sorry small fry, I don't travel with anyone else, it's just a distraction from coordinating. But good luck with the gyms and all."

"I understand," Max nodded, though visibly uncomfortable. "I just figured if either of us heard from her… well, the other would want to know."

"Max, I don't want to hear from May" Drew grunted, rolling his eyes a little. "She's a big girl. She can look after herself - in fact, that's kind of the point, I think."

"You don't care?" Max's face screwed up a little as he spoke, frowning at Drew with a renewed light. "I mean, I knew you were kinda a weenie back in the day, but the way May talked about you last year kinda made me think you'd changed and that you guys were close. But you literally don't care?"

"I get that you're worried about her" Drew said slowly, not wanting to be misinterpreted. "But May is eighteen years old. She is old enough and smart enough to look after herself and to know what is best for herself. That's why she took off in the first place. I don't want to hear from her, because I know that she wants to be independent. She doesn't want my help."

"But surely you want to see her - you must be concerned" Max challenged, beginning to stand up. "She wasn't herself when she left, you know that. You genuinely don't want to know how she's doing or whether or not she's struggling or needs help at all? If she called you, you wouldn't answer?"

"I respect her enough to respect what she wants. And she doesn't want my help, and she doesn't need it." Drew pursed his lips slightly as he spoke, a frown creasing a line between his eyes. "She doesn't want to talk to me, Max."

"I thought you liked her" Max suddenly mumbled softly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean… we all thought you two…"

"I really don't feel comfortable discussing May any further." Drew reopened his books and began to stare at them fastidiously. He heard Max sigh and shift his weight from one foot to the other, before awkwardly beginning to shuffle away.

"My dad likes you" Max added lamely, but Drew didn't respond.

* * *

There was still a week or two before the contest season officially opened, so Drew spent a little more time in Jubilife City than he ordinarily would have. The city itself irked him - it was too commercial and flashy for his tastes, but there was a settlement of Budew to the north and he knew how Roserade enjoyed being among them, so they spent a lot of time training there. He knew he wasn't just travelling for himself, and that indulging his Pokémon was worthwhile. He'd been there a few days when he was making his way back from a day of training with Flygon, working on his new Draco Meteor, when he met her. She was pottering along cheerfully, chatting away to a Piplup that he could swear he'd seen before, talking in a light tone he found painfully familiar. But still, he kept his distance, because while he recognised her, she would have no reason to recognise him, and so instead kept his head low and walked quietly, not wishing to disturb her. He found it difficult, ignoring some deep fascination that had bubbled there since he'd watched them battle.

Ignoring her proved to be futile though, because her Piplup was making loud, pointed gestures towards him, and the girl turned quickly at the commotion, and apparently decided she did have a reason to recognise him. Drew felt a sudden shudder of discomfort, but tried to keep his face steady, like this hadn't unnerved him. Since speaking with Max, he'd been a little on edge.

"I'm really sorry to bother you," she laughed awkwardly, folding a little of her long blue hair behind her ear. "But my Piplup recognised you - well, I recognise you too, I mean, er… Drew, right? You won the Johto Grand Festival! I watched on TV with my Mom, my friend May was performing, she was in the final with you." Her voice was light and bumbling, and in general a little awkward. "I just wanted to say congratulations, and I really admired your battling."

"Thank you," Drew replied lightly, a little surprised, though he wasn't sure why. It wasn't uncommon for coordinators to watch other region's grand festivals. "I actually know of you as well. I saw the Wallace Cup, I watched it in Johto. You also faced off with May in a final."

"Yes!" Her face split into a grin, pleased she had been recognised. "My name is Dawn. May is lovely, she's a really good friend of mine. I was rooting for her, but honestly the battle was so great, you totally deserved the win."

"Thanks," Drew replied lightly, though not sure how to respond. "I, er, I'm actually familiar with her as well. She's been a… rival of mine, for some time."

"Oh!" Dawn blinked, before grinning. "Oh, of course! Now I think about it, I vaguely remember her mentioning you to Ash and Brock. I didn't think much of it at the time but… it makes sense, that you're _that_ Drew, after the final. Huh."

"Er, yeah. Anyway, it's nice to meet you, Dawn. I best be going, but yeah. Maybe run into you at a contest or something." Drew began to sidestep around her and move ahead, but he found her blocking his path quickly, blinking at him with big, blue, shining eyes that left him incredibly uncomfortable.

"Where ya headed?" She chirped, with the Piplup in her arms chiming in cheerfully.

"Er, the Pokémon Center" Drew replied unsurely, visibly disturbed. "Why?"

"Well, let's walk together! I'm headed there too!" Dawn seemed nice enough, and Drew was still curious, so he nodded, although half-heartedly. They continued along together in a pregnant, stiff silence. Dawn looked like she was concentrating hard, to try and think of something to say. "Well, um, are you competing in Sinnoh this year then?"

"Yes." Drew preferred shorter responses with people who hadn't yet earned his syllables. "Yourself?"

"No. not this year!" Dawn smiled back. "My Buneary got scouted as a Pokémon model, so she's working here in Jubilife for the next few months, which cuts quite far into the next season. I'll take this year out and carry on next year."

"Ah." Drew wasn't sure how he was supposed to continue the conversation, so he let it hang for a moment. "Have you heard from May lately?"

"Not since she arrived in Kalos" Dawn shrugged. Drew glanced at her sharply. "She called to congratulate me on coming second in the Sinnoh Grand Festival."

"How was she?" Drew tried to keep his tone even, and Dawn smiled at him lightly.

"Secretive" she told him gently. Drew exhaled a little. "But okay. I got the feeling there were a few things she weren't telling me."

"How odd" Drew shifted slightly, letting Dawn enter the center before him. "Well, if you hear from her again, give her my regards."

"I will" she nodded, raising an eyebrow at him. "I'm sure she'll be happy to hear them. Can I buy you a coffee? We can… talk, about her, if you want?"

"I don't know what you think you're insinuating," Drew retorted hotly. "But I don't dwell on these things, and I don't plan on hanging around. I'm headed to my room."

"Well alright then, mister grumpy" Dawn snorted, unimpressed. "You don't have to be so impolite." She searched through her bag, rooting out a scrap of paper torn from a diary and a pen with a feathery ball of fluff stuck to the top of it, complete with a spring with a model Aipom attached. "Look, here… is…." she scribbled furiously. "... my number. If you give me yours, I'll let you know when I hear from her."

"I don't want to hear from her" Drew replied sternly. "Why does everyone think I want to hear from her?"

"Because you asked if I'd heard from her," Dawn replied lightly, thrusting the paper forward. "And you have bags under your eyes. And you look a bit sad."

"That's totally ridiculous" Drew scoffed, walking away and leaving the paper in her hand.

"Don't you dare!" Dawn hurried along after him. "Nuh uh. Trust me, reading people is kinda my thing. I am so good at figuring people out its scary. Ask anyone."

"I don't know any of your friends to ask, and I don't particularly want to." Drew tried to speed up, to lose her, but Dawn danced around in front of him again, her cheeks puffed out teasingly.

"You know May" she wriggled her eyebrows, and Drew immediately decided he strongly disliked Dawn. "Take the stupid number. Text me when you want to know. It won't kill you to accept a scrap of paper."

"If I take it, will you leave me the hell alone?" Drew snapped, and Dawn nodded, still grinning. Silently, he tugged the paper out of her fingers, folding it neatly and placing it in his front left pocket. "There. Go away."

* * *

 **Early Days**

* * *

Drew had found the Florama Contest mostly uninspiring, though it lent itself perfectly to Roserade. The locals adored grass type Pokémon, and any Pokémon that knew petal dance seemed to win extra points just for existing, so it gave him what he felt like what was a game changing advantage. He was never one to turn his nose down at that, though, and he felt good about the final battle. He was up against a Sinnoh native. He hadn't really paid much attention to his appeal, although he'd watched some of his competitor's battles and he guessed he was a little better than he'd expected, maybe. Drew usually took his time with his judgements. But this Kenny, he seemed okay.

As Drew called out Roserade and Kenny called out Alakazam, he was surprised at the power behind this fully evolved psychic type. Still, Drew didn't struggle, and Roserade pirouetted through the battle without breaking a sweat. Alakazam put up a few decent psychic defensives that threw him for a second, but Roserade broke through it pretty easily in the end. The announcement and actually receiving the ribbon always went on a little long, and really all Drew wanted was to get out of his dumb, itchy super contest clothes. He missed his aqua pants terribly, but they lay discarded in a charity shop in Whirl Islands somewhere, with a price tag and probably no buyers. The thought left him a little sad. Super contests were silly, in his opinion. Having to dress up was silly. Everything felt silly and awkward and wrong. Dark suit trousers and a button up shirt only made him feel like he was dressed like his father, and there was no way he would subscribe to the insane amount of ruffles every other male in the coordinating world seemed obsessed with wearing.

He changed in the locker rooms as soon as he could, and was just pulling his t-shirt over his head when an awkward clearing of a voice caught his attention, and he turned to see Kenny, the same man he'd demolished in battle not even an hour ago, sat on a bench close by, unbuttoning his dress shirt and unfastening ruffled cuffs from the sleeves.

"You were good" Kenny complimented lightly. "Your Roserade is really impressive."

"Thanks" Drew nodded. "You're not bad yourself." He felt like he was slightly exaggerating - Kenny had been very weak competition for him, but his Alakazam was strong at least.

"I appreciate that" Kenny replied, laughing a little, like he was embarrassed. "I always feel like I have to work harder than everyone else - coordinating just doesn't seem to come naturally to me but I'm really determined!"

"What's the motivation?" Drew asked politely, turning towards Kenny as he shrugged on his jacket. Kenny hesitated, before smiling weakly.

"There's someone I need to impress" he admitted quietly, looking down. "I need them to respect and admire me, but they only ever really cared about contests their whole life. So this is the best way to do that. And I know our paths will cross while we follow the same dream." Drew looked at him hard for a moment, before quietly retrieving the last of his belongings, processing his opponent's words. Finally, he slammed the locker door shut with a loud, ringing bang that left Kenny to jump a little. Drew tensed.

"That's a bad idea" he told him briskly, shoving his hands into his pockets and pointedly not looking at someone. "If you let someone influence your coordinating that much, you'll never be satisfied as a coordinator and you'll end up regretting it. You need to pull your head out of your ass, and coordinate for yourself and your own dignity, and not think of it as becoming something you think someone else wants. Have some respect for your Pokémon that are working hard for you. Maybe then this person will have a little more respect for you."

Kenny was wordless, watching Drew with his mouth slightly agape as the victor of the Florama contest left the locker room with a clenched fist and his teeth grinding.

* * *

If there was one thing about Sinnoh Drew particularly enjoyed it was the scenery. After the contest, he'd packed up his belongings and set up camp outside the Valley Windworks, near the river. It was cold, yes, but that was to be expected in Sinnoh when autumn was beginning to end. It was always going to be cold. But he'd packed wisely for that, and had set up a campfire with a little help from Flygon, and his tent cut out the wind efficiently. The landscape of Sinnoh he found particularly moving, which was a pleasant surprise, as all he had ever been told about the region was how cold it was and how chilly he'd be. But the outline of Mt Coronet seemed to follow him once he got to the center of the region, and it seemed to be reflected in every lake he found. The windworks were lined by trees, and while he was still so close to Florama, bursts of wildflowers seemed more frequent than plain grasslands. The sky was always clear, which is probably what made it so bitter in temperature, but that didn't bother him really, not when it meant there was this crisp, pure sky that made the world seem untouched and unspoilt. He had an overwhelming urge to talk about it, and while he fed his Pokémon, he chattered aimlessly at them about how pretty their surroundings were and what a shame Solidad hadn't come to Sinnoh to see it, or even Harley, at a push. Roserade was watching him strangely - he supposed that he was talking to them a lot more than usual, but didn't see that as a bad behaviour that would concern his Pokémon. Absol was quite pleased at this, Drew noticed, and Masquerain was entertained for some reason and kept trilling in a way that sounded like he was laughing. Houndoom hadn't been around long enough to have noticed a real difference, and Flygon didn't notice - Flygon didn't notice anything when there was food. Drew just kept talking though, on and on, which was stupid because he was there to catch a Pokémon and wait out for it, and he was probably scaring it off - they were apparently very timid, which is what made them so rare - but they'd been known to congregate here around this time of the week, so he felt confident he'd bump into one. Eventually, Roserade had to point out the dying fire, and the darkening sky to him, and Drew's throat actually felt a little hoarse. He returned his Pokémon, letting them rest, but kept Roserade out for the company. Sinnoh was beautiful and peaceful and still, but he also found it very quiet.

They were sat outside of the tent together, burning up the kindling Drew had found earlier that evening in the linings of trees. They were close to Eterna Forest, so there was plenty of tree bark and twigs lying about in the undergrowth to burn. It was getting later, and later. Roserade was sleeping with her head leant against Drew's lap, and he rested a hand on her side gently, hoping to keep her a little warmer, feeling the rise and fall of her breathing. There were a few Starly chirping as they settled down for the night, and a few Buizel settling down into the bank for the night, but everything was mostly silent, and it swallowed him whole. The sky was so clear here, and the moon was almost imposing it was so big and vivid, giving a silvery sheen to everything the light from his campfire did not reach. He'd spent so many of his journeys searching for solitude, and peace, and quiet. He'd never realised how much he hated it until he found it. Eventually, he gave up, returning Roserade to her pokeball so she could rest without fear of the cold, and he retreated to his tent in solitude.

He was awoken an hour or so later. It was a violent way to wake up, jerking upright and becoming alert instantly, as something was bouncing and rolling against the roof of his tent. A breeze seemed to be pushing against the door of the tent insistently, causing the velcro to burst open a little, flapping obnoxiously. It angered him more than it concerned him, and he wriggled out of his sleeping bag quickly, his hand immediately finding Masquerain's pokeball and tightening around it to be prepared. By the time he surfaced, the anger had been replaced by a bemusement, as a Driftloom repeatedly picked himself up in the wind to hit the top of the tent, just in order to slide down along the synthetic material, rolling along onto the ground in a silent hysterical laugh, flapping it's string like arms like an enthused toddler, ignoring his presence and picking himself back up again to repeat the process.

Drew had never expected the timid Pokémon he'd read about to be so childlike and silly. Instead of releasing Masquerain, he knelt down next to the Pokémon, who finally looked up at him in a vague sense of wonder, as though it was considering whether to flee or to stay. Drew paused, considering.

"You don't have to stop," he said quietly, crossing his legs and sitting next to the tent. "If you're enjoying yourself, you know, carry on. It's alright." The Pokémon squeaked in a happy understanding, and flung itself up again, tumbling down the side of the tent once more, giggling more audibly as he rolled along the floor. Drew suppressed a smile. It was very sweet. "You're very playful. I'd heard you Driftloom were supposed to be shy and reserved." Driftloom floated across to him, perching in front of him with a slightly tilted head. His strings fluttered a little in the wind, but he kept himself grounded by resting the ends of them against one of Drew's knees. Drew chuckled, and tentatively patted the Pokémon on the head - Driftloom seemed to enjoy it, so he continued. "Are you hungry? I've got some Pokémon food if you are, or some pokeblock?" Driftloom seemed eager, so after a few seconds scuffling around the tent, Drew came back with his pokeblock dispenser and squeezed out a couple of blue pokeblock, very neat and precise. He'd blended a big batch of them back in the Whirl Island when he had some time to kill. Driftloom ate them, but was clearly unsure about them, which made Drew raise an eyebrow in suspicion. "I bet those are a bit dry for you, huh? I bet a Pokémon like you would prefer something a bit sweeter." He popped out a few more - he didn't have many pink pokeblock, none of his Pokémon seemed to enjoy them, but he kept a few around in case, because he knew May's Beautifly was fond of them and sometimes if he ran into her while she was training, he would offer her them instead of the subpar ones May would make. He smiled to himself a little as Driftloom devoured them eagerly, clearly much fonder of the Pecha flavoured blocks, and settled into Drew's lap happily afterwards, cooing up at him cheerfully.

"You know, I'm a Pokémon coordinator. We use Pokémon to do appeals, and battling in a different way than other trainers that's less about power and more about putting on a show. It's a lot of fun, and I think you would like it." The Driftloom looked up at him curiously, and Drew wondered what he was doing. Ordinarily, when he wanted a Pokémon he would battle it and capture it, but something about the big, shining eyes of this Driftloom made him think maybe it would be a nicer thing to do to bond with it instead. He knew some trainers who did that with most of their Pokémon. Well, one trainer. But it seemed to work well for her. The Driftloom's strings reached up and patted Drew on the head in a not dissimilar way to the way in which he had petted the Pokémon previously, and he took that as some kind of confirmation that the Pokémon was interested. So Drew fished out an empty pokeball, and offered it to the balloon Pokémon, and was pleasantly surprised when he tapped the seal himself and let himself into his new pokeball. It didn't even quiver, like it did when he caught a Pokémon usually, it just beeped in confirmation of the capture and became still in his hand. It was a new experience, and one he was glad to have had, and it meant he could spend some time in Eterna Forest training his new Driftloom up.

Settling back down into his tent, he used his phone to check the time - it was something like five in the morning, and his alarm was set for seven, so he turned it off because he knew he hadn't gotten much sleep before Driftloom had woken him and there was no harm in having a restful morning. He lay back in his sleeping bag, anticipating being very tired and nodding off again right away, but found himself restless and unable to fall asleep, instead thinking what she might have thought of his capture of Driftloom, and the way she would have told him how soft he was getting. He bit the inside of his cheek a little harder than he'd wanted to, and the taste of blood filled his mouth, metallic and hot. It was only a little cut, but it was enough to ache.

He reached for his phone again, and pulled the back off the phone off to find a little scrap of paper, neatly folded. After drafting and deleting multiple messages, he finally settled on a very simple, blunt message that he hoped would make the whole thing a lot less painless to his pride than it actually was. But he kept it brief.

' _Dawn. If you hear anything from May, please let me know. I would appreciate this being kept quiet. Thank you. Drew.'_

He hadn't been anticipating a reply, not this late, but was surprised when his phone flashed up brightly, lighting up the tent, ringing in that dull, stock ringtone that he'd never changed. He always forgot to put it on silent - but no one really messaged in the middle of the night really, so it wasn't a problem usually.

' _Gladly! Last I heard she is sad, but she's getting happier. Loves Kalos! Told me about Johto and you two - she misses you lots.'_

* * *

 **Max**

* * *

Drew had won his second ribbon in Eterna City. It had been another easy win, as they tended to be around the beginning of seasons. A lot of coordinators used this time to try out new techniques or experiment, and there was the usual influx of new talent that had little to no experience yet that would improve drastically over their first season, but not quite yet. He'd spent that night in the Pokémon Center and set off at the crack of dawn, his Pokémon refreshed and his supplies restocked for his first trip through Mt Coronet. He had been looking forward to it - there were special properties in this mountain that brought the best out in some kinds of Pokémon, to the point where some of them even evolved there, and that fascinated him. He also wanted to check out the sights. Having looked up at it for so long, as it cast its reflection in every water source he'd come to, he wanted to see the beautiful scenery of Sinnoh from the centremost point, and had even bought a camera in Eterna to grab a few shots in order to preserve them. He'd taken a few from a valley below the mountain while training for the contest, and a few around the Eterna Forest, but it was Mt Coronet he was looking forward to most of all.

He figured by now though, it was just his luck to see Max training as he began to scale the mountain. Max didn't notice him though, too engrossed in his Pokémon to look up, so Drew stopped and watched for a while. He admired his battling technique a little, very different to what he'd expected. After battling Ash back in Hoenn, and watching the way May's battle style had developed, he'd presumed Max would battle offensively, as those were the influences he'd grown up with. But instead, he was focusing on blocking attacks, and on building defensive walls and speed. It was tactical, strategic battling, and much less emotively driven than his sister. It impressed him. His Kirlia was fast too, and her light screen caught the sun prettily. He should have expected a little coordinating flare to run through his battles, Drew figured. He spent a lot of time watching contest battles.

"Max," Drew greeted, deciding against walking past unnoticed. The younger turned to him with a hand over his forehead. The winter sun was very bright, and was casting a glare over his glasses, making him squint. He seemed a bit taller than when he'd seen him a few months ago in Canalave.

"Drew!" Max's tone was cheerful, and Drew walked across to him without reservation. "It's been a while. How's the contests going?"

"Good, just got my second ribbon" Drew replied politely. "And your gym badges?"

"Two for two! I battled Roark down in Oreburg and then Gardenia here in Eterna. I'm about to head down to Hearthome to challenge Fantina next" Max explained brightly, his Kirlia coming to stand by his side. "This is the first Pokémon I caught, by the way. Kirlia, this is a friend of my sisters, Drew!" His Kirlia greeted him politely, with a shy smile and wave, and Drew nodded back at the small psychic type politely.

"Your Kirlia looks tough" Drew complimented kindly. "Would you like to have a practice battle? I'm curious about your battle style."

"That sounds awesome, thanks Drew!" Max was clearly eager, and it made Drew smile a little. "How about a double battle? I haven't had the chance to try many double battles but I always think they look a lot of fun!"

"Huh? Yeah, sure, I don't see why not." Drew nodded, frowning. It was odd that a trainer would willingly move to a format that benefitted coordinators, but he supposed that with how much of Max's battle influence would come from watching his sister in contests, it makes sense that he might favour a double battle. They each called their Pokémon, Max calling his Kirlia and a Grovyle, which looked lean, fast, and well trained. Drew called out Roserade and Driftloom, and they took their positions a good distance apart. Neither were using Pokémon that would benefit from the rocky terrain, and while Driftloom had a few type advantages he was the lowest levelled Pokémon on the field. It seemed like it might be a decent battle, and Drew found himself unexpectedly excited at the prospect.

"Alright, Kirlia, start building up light screen and reflect, get us some good cover!" Max called first. The Pokémon began to pirouette swiftly, and lights began to shine around it and the Grovyle to its left. Drew steeled himself. He'd been expecting one wall, but not two. "And Grovyle, let's get right to work on Roserade, she's the big hitter on the field. Use your bullet seed!" Drew nearly rolled his eyes, immediately no longer impressed. It would take a lot more than a flimsy bullet seed to work on his Roserade.

"Driftloom, push that bullet seed straight back with an ominous wind," Drew called casually, shoving a hand into his pocket. "Roserade, begin charging a solar beam to break down some of that wall." Ominous wind did the trick, and picked up the bullet seed quickly, adding the ghostly type advantage as the bullet seed attack flew into Kirlia, causing serious damage. Roserade's solar beam followed shortly after, and while both attacks were weakened by the wall, they went a long way towards shattering them.

"Grovyle, use agility to get in nice and close to that Driftloom, and use pursuit!"

"Roserade, counter with Petal Dance!"

The battle went on, with Max relying on his Grovyle's speed and his Kirlia's wall a little too much, making it easy enough for Drew to break through eventually and end things with a combo hit of shadow ball and petal dance, knocking the two Hoenn native Pokémon back easily. It was one of the more interesting battles Drew had in Sinnoh so far though, and for that he was grateful. Max was a little put out that he hadn't been able to land many hits, but he seemed pleased enough with what progress he had made in the battle, and returned his tired Pokémon without complaint.

"I didn't think I had much of a chance," Max admitted jovially, itching the back of his head lightly. "You always were a tough trainer."

"Thanks. You're definitely not bad yourself, for someone so unbelievably short." Drew smirked a little. However, he did feel obligated to encourage him somewhat. "Your Grovyle is fast."

"He was my starting Pokémon, I told May which she picked Torchic it was a mistake, and Grovyle proves me right every day!" Max laughed in a thick, restrained way that made Drew think he was a little flustered over the compliment.

"You're very different battlers, so what suits her might not have suited you." Drew shrugged, feeling a little awkward as to comparing them. The whole situation felt a little weird. "Do you have stuff to heal your Pokémon with?"

"Oh yeah, tones, don't worry" Max nodded.

"Alright, well, I'll see you around then." Drew turned to walk away, feeling oddly pleased, like he'd fulfilled some kind of quota he had to reach, when Max called after him to get his attention.

"Wait up a sec, Drew!" Max rushed over, and fell into step with him. Drew internally cringed. It had been too easy, getting away like that. "I, er, I spoke to May!"

"A lot of people seem to be doing that" Drew groaned, not bothering to look at Max. "Well, that's nice. I'm glad you spoke to her."

"She told me what went down with you two" he continued, clearly feeling uncomfortable, and Drew felt blood vessels popping in his head. He stopped walking, with a sigh, and began to massage his temple. "Look, I don't want this to be weird, or anything, but uh…"

"I really don't want to discuss this Max, really" Drew told him firmly, and Max paused, as though considering it.

"Well it's just that… it kinda bums me out that she just took off like that." Max pulled a face. "I don't know. I mean I always thought you were a massive weenie."

"Thanks, Max." Juvenile comments clearly ran in the family.

"But, er, I really looked up to you in a weird way" Max continued obliviously.

"You're very short, it doesn't surprise me" Drew commented quickly. Max gave him a stern look before continuing.

"I mean, not like I looked up to Ash, I mean, I always kinda hoped Ash would marry May and then he would be my brother, but I think May nearly threw up when I said that to her, so that kinda crossed that out…"

"I really don't know why you're telling me this" Drew tried to interrupt, but Max was in full flow.

"And anyway, you always made her fight harder which was always really cool. And the way you battle has always been my favourite to watch, well over May and Ash, they were always so predictable and threw out these big flashy hits, where you actually thought about what you were doing and planned moves out, and that really influenced me, and I really wanted to learn how you did stuff." Drew watched him for a moment. Drew never considered himself a defensive or speed battler, but he could see what Max meant by that reflected in his battle style. In the battle they'd had, often one of his Pokémon covered the other as they'd attacked, and that's something he'd done a lot when battling May to counter her offensive big hits. "Anyway, I'm just saying, even though I think you're a massive weenie, and er, what is it that May calls you?"

"A dweeb" Drew filled in monotonously.

"Right, yeah, even though you're a huge dweeb - I mean the hugest, ever dweeb, what was with those roses man? Even though you're a dweeb, I kinda thought it would be cool if you were around, and so I'm kinda pissed that my sister just took off on you like that." Max stopped, looking across at Drew nervously. "Not that it means much what I think."

"Thank you," Drew replied, a little surprised. "But don't be mad at your sister. She had good reasons to go to Kalos and I respect them."

"But… you do still like her, right?" Max pressed, almost urgently. "I mean, literally Arceus knows why anyone would find her attractive, but… you do like her, and things might happen in the future?"

"It's very strange that you would meddle in your sister's life like this" Drew pointed out sagely. "I don't know Max. What happens when she comes back happens. I'm trying not to dwell on it and it would be nice if everyone else did the same. Where are you travelling to next, again?"

"Hearthome" Max filled in shyly.

"Right, come on then" Drew sighed, a little incredulous that he was doing this. "I'm headed that way for a contest, we'll go together, and we can work on your battling. I heard the Hearthome gym leader was a big coordinator back in the day. If you tell anyone this happened, I will deny it."

"Really, Drew?" The younger of the two suddenly beamed, his face lighting up. "Like really? I mean, that'd be cool, I guess. But why?"

"Because, I don't know." Drew floundered a little, grunting under his breath. "I respect your battling and I'm kinda flattered you looked up to me. And Arceus knows with May for a role model in life you probably can't look after yourself."

"I'm taking you up on your offer but I still think you're a weenie, so long as that's established" Max stated clearly, and Drew rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. Just… two rules. The first is we don't talk about your sister, and the second is that we don't talk much at all unless it's a conversation that isn't incredibly annoying, which most of them are, I can tell you that immediately. And this is just to Hearthome, after that you're on your own."

"Understood!" Max chimed, clearly pleased. "So you don't want to know what she's been up to?"

"... This is the only conversation we will have about May" Drew conceded, giving him a sidelong glance as they walked along together. "What's she been doing in Kalos then?"

"Ah she loves it there, completely" Max told him brightly, swinging his arms a little. "You know when she first started traveling, she hated Pokémon, and all she really wanted was to sightsee and sample the shopping in different cities basically. So I think Kalos is kinda perfect for her - when she got there she went straight to Lumiose City which is like the capital city of shopping in the world. She stayed with a Professor there and he's this big expert on Mega Evolution, and helped her track down the items she needed to make Blaziken mega evolve on command, which is super cool. And she's caught so many Pokémon, apparently Mom and Dad's greenhouse is packed with Pokémon. Kalos doesn't have many kinds of Pokémon exclusive to that region, but lots of Pokémon that come from regions all over the world, so she's getting some really varied types apparently."

"That's good." Drew suppressed a smile, imagining her running around a big, shiny city in the same way she'd ran around Goldenrod, dragging him to dress shops before she left for Sinnoh last year. "So, it's Lumiose City, huh."

"Yeah, but she said she's moving on soon. She said she wants to visit some tower in Shalour City, and she wants to see some great statue in… I think she said it was called Anistar City? Anyway, she's going to start moving around again." Max smiled, clearly pleased. "She seemed way happier than I remember seeing her last. And she looks a lot different, too. Her hair is different and she said she was learning more about makeup and clothes and stuff, but I didn't care so much about that."

"I'm sure." Drew looked down for a moment, before focusing his eyes forwards. He wondered what she looked like now. "We've come to the end of the allotted May time. We won't talk about her again."

"Oh…" Max glanced at Drew, wondering if he'd upset him. "Sure. No more talking about her."

* * *

Travelling with Max had been an odd experience for Drew, even if it had only been for a few days. He wasn't threatened by Max potentially stealing his contest ideas, so he was happy to let him observe his training for the contest in Hearthome, which Max thrived on, saying that he was learning techniques that he could definitely use in his gym matches, and Drew occasionally noticed when Max was training, he was using a few elements of Drew's appeal moves in his battles, a few in attack methods that Drew honestly hadn't thought of before. Max was smart and observant, and as much as he was potentially the most irritating person he'd ever met, he wasn't intolerable to have around. However, they were in Hearthome now. Max was training just on the outskirts of the city while Drew was registering for his contest the next day. Max had said he was happy to delay his gym match to come support Drew, saying it was the least he could do after everything he'd learnt from travelling with him, and Drew didn't care enough either way to tell him not to.

The contest hall in Hearthome was beautiful, with a high, domed ceiling with intricate designs, and bright, shimmery lights that illuminated every inch of the massive reception. There were portraits on the walls of standout performers over the years, and Drew spotted a few he recognised, like Wallace. There was also a woman who looked astoundingly like Dawn, and the winner of last year's Sinnoh Grand Festival, Zoey, who Drew remembered May defeating in her Wallace Cup challenge.

Once Drew retrieved his contest pass from the receptionist, he began to head out to find Max and continue his training before it got too late to train. He was just about to head out the door when a familiar voice shouted for him, and he suddenly felt completely exhausted at the sound. He turned, out of obligation, to see his father. He was fully suited with a phone pressed to his ear, but gestured for him to approach with that same expressionless face he was used to. Drew swallowed a sigh, and a little pride, and moved across the room to join his father.

"... yeah sorry, I was just calling my son over. Anyway, the meeting is scheduled for later this week - I'm just concerned that there may still be issues with the stadium capacity on the upper levels for the Grand Festival, but ordinary contests don't use the upper floors, so it will be fine for the contest tomorrow. Uh huh…. uh huh…." His father worked for the NCA, often moving around a lot to visit different arenas, as his job was to inspect the maintained standard of the different arenas across all four contest regions to be sure they were up to scratch for the contests required of them. "Yes, well there's the contest hall at Lake Valor, where the Wallace Cup and Grand Festival were held last year, after all the fuss with reconstruction here. It should be ready for next season, but this year I think we should keep with Lake Valor. This is all going to be covered in the meeting." Drew arched his eyebrow at his father, clearly impatient, and Matthew gave him a look to emphasise how _little he cared_ , and Drew folded his arms, waiting. "Excellent, thanks. See you next week. Uh huh. Okay. Bye." Matthew hung up, shoving his phone into his pocket, and reached across to put his hand on his son's shoulder, the only physical greeting they ever seemed to exchange. "Andrew. Good, I'm glad to bump into you. Come on, I'll buy you a coffee."

"That isn't necessary Dad" Drew tried to protest, but the grip on his shoulder tightened, and he was directed towards the exit of the hall firmly. He quickly realised there was little choice in the matter.

"I've been working in Sinnoh the past month or so, with some queries as to where the Grand Festival will be held," Matthew explained, though his son hadn't asked, as they hit the street. "I'll be honest, I was going to call you and ask where you were if I didn't see you by the end of the month, so I could talk to you. I have some news."

"Oh." Drew shifted uncomfortably. "That sounds vaguely ominous."

"It does, doesn't it?" Matthew agreed. There was a coffee kiosk a little way up the road from the arena, and Matthew ordered two plain black filtered coffees, in as large a size as they came. Drew may have disliked his father's imposition as a rule, but he could not deny he had a good eye for coffee. "Let's take a walk."

"Alright." The pair headed south, by Matthew's direction, neither really fancying the tourist allure of Amity Square that lay to the north. "So what's happening?"

"Your mother got in touch" Matthew explained lightly, and Drew turned his head towards his father slowly. "Don't look at me like that, Andrew, I'm aware of the absurdity of it."

"It's a little odd" Drew admitted reproachfully, taking a mouthful of coffee. It was still a little hot, and scorched his taste buds a little. "I mean, this is the woman who gave me a name and then disappeared. It's strange to hear her referred to as my mother."

"Yes. I'm feeling just as… perplexed, over the situation." Matthew kept his eyes focused straight ahead, taking a sip himself. "But yes. Have you seen the recent articles about her?"

"I have, actually" Drew nodded. "I wasn't exactly blown away by her suitability to be a maternal figure." Matthew snorted, amused. They'd always shared a sarcastic humour between them, at the least.

"Quite" he agreed. "However, it appears she has had a big, melodramatic change of heart, like only she could. She wants to get in touch with you."

"How nice for her," Drew replied unevenly, a little baffled. "The pills wearing off made her want to reconnect with her son. Charming."

"Now, I don't really know what I'm to do in this scenario, because frankly I've had no authority over you since you were ten, and I don't intend to tell you what to do either way" Matthew continued, ignoring his son's bitter remarks. "But I will give you her number. She lives here in Sinnoh, I think when I spoke to her she said she was locking herself away in a cabin in the deepest part of Snowpoint City, in order to sober up without any temptation. She described her addictions as an illness, which is something that doesn't surprise me. She had a very… addictive personality when we were younger. She didn't just _want_ to win contests…" Matthew paused, reflective. "She craved it. Success and fame were like intoxicants to her. If you choose to meet her, that's very well. But I'd advise some caution with her. She's very charismatic, and very good at getting what she wants."

"I doubt it'll be an issue" Drew snorted, taking another sip. "I'll go see her though."

"Really?" Matthew was a little taken back. "I'm surprised, I have to say. I expected you to storm away and refuse to speak to her, after the way you've spoken of her the past few years."

"Yes, well, I have a morbid curiosity. Like watching a car crash, it's horrible but it's hard to look away." Drew shrugged. Matthew exhaled through his nose, but nodded, and took a small, leather bound book out from the inside of his suit jacket pocket.

"Write this down in your phone, then" he told him tiredly. After all the necessary information had been passed over, he shut his book with a loud snap, and looked at his son carefully. "Would you like to come back for Christmas this year? I'll be with your Grandparents again and as ever, they told me to invite you."

"No, but thank you. I'll be in Sinnoh somewhere training." Drew shifted, wanting to change the topic. Every childhood Christmas Drew could remember was spent with his Grandparents, who acted as though he was the devil incarnate, but treated him nicely through a thin veil of obligation. He despised it, nearly as much as he despised the concentrated, isolated space of La Rousse. His father shrugged, having expected it, and they walked on together in silence.

"Are you competing tomorrow?" Matthew asked lightly, and Drew nodded. "Well, I'll be watching for the arena's sake, for my report, but I'm happy to have the chance to watch you perform."

"Sure. Anything in particular you need to test the arena on? My appeal is pretty solid now, but I could throw something into an attack if it'll help" Drew offered half-heartedly, and his father laughed a little.

"Well, if you have a chance to do an airborne attack, test whether the roof is high enough for Grand Festival level, that would be helpful" Matthew told him, smirking a little. "But I wouldn't concern yourself with it."

"I'll see what I can do" Drew mumbled, shoving his free hand into his coat pocket. They walked in silence for some time, neither sure what there was left to say to the other.

* * *

Drew's third ribbon win in Hearthome was another easy victory. He was beginning to wonder if there was any real competition this year in Sinnoh at all, which left him a little disappointed. It was like the entire season was dead, with Solidad away in Kanto spending the year with her family, and Harley… doing whatever it was that Harley had decided to do. He wasn't actually certain where his least favourite person was. He had seemingly disappeared without much mention since their battle in Johto, though Drew wasn't complaining. He did miss the competition, though. Coordinating didn't seem as engaging when everyone seemed to lie down and let him power through. Without the challenge there was no satisfaction.

Max met him after the contest in the lobby, gushing over how powerful his Houndoom had been in that final match, and chattering on at him about how pretty Drifloom's appeal had been. Drew agreed, quietly, that Drifloom had done well, considering it was his first contest. They headed for the exit together, Max still spouting his opinions of the contest, when he noticed his father stood to the other side of the lobby. With a gentle hand on his shoulder, Drew brought Max to a standstill for a moment, looking across at his father. Max was confused, looking up at Drew for a moment and then following his eyes, before taking a few seconds to figure out that it was his father, the very one he'd briefly spotted in Johto, on the docks of Whirl Island. Neither of the Hayden's spoke for a moment.

"Well done, again" Matthew called over. They didn't approach each other. Drew nodded, recognising his congratulations.

"Thank you. Did Houndoom's dark pulse go high enough for you?" Drew asked, almost mockingly, and Matthew bared his teeth in a rare smile.

"Yes. Thank you." With another nod, Matthew dismissed him, and so Drew carried on walking, leaving Max to scurry after him, filled with questions that Drew didn't bother to respond to.

* * *

Max somehow convinced Drew to accompany him to his gym match with Fantina. He wasn't quite sure how Max had wriggled his way into bending Drew's will, but he went along with it reluctantly, telling himself this was the last day until they parted and Max went on to travel without him.

Max was using his Numel, and shooting off flame bursts that were filling the whole field with red hot embers, trapping Fantina's Drifblim to the sky, not letting it drop down closer to battlefield because of the rising hot air, and Drifblim's reliance on wind for transporting itself. Fantina was smarter than that though, and was spinning out flurries of ominous wind, putting them out and allowing her more mobility, while inflicting damage on Numel, all incorporated together. Max looked like he was in a tough spot - he'd been relying on that hot air to give him an advantage, when he stopped and thought hard. Drew recalled a training session they'd had with Numel and Houndoom, and watched Max carefully to see what he'd do. It pleased him to see he waited to let Fantina attack. One of the first things he'd shown Max was that when you were stuck for something to do, it was often easier to counter an attack then keep ploughing on desperately, something his sister didn't have the forethought to do very often, and when you had fire power on your side, it was very easy to reverse a special attack, especially when you were battling a Pokémon that heat easily effected, like a Drifblim, and it relied upon special attacks. Exactly as he'd thought, Fantina sent a huge shadow ball at him, and Max easily pushed it back towards Drifblim with another powerful flame burst, which disintegrated the shadow ball and took its energy, throwing it back towards Drifblim effortlessly. Fantina gasped, a little surprised.

The battle went on a little longer, but it seemed that critical hit had turned the momentum in Max's favour, and he went on to win. As Fantina presented Max with his third badge, Drew felt an odd swelling of pride he'd never really experienced before, but then he figured, he'd never coached anyone to victory before either. Max was bouncing from one foot to the other as they left, babbling on about the battle and how exciting it was to have beaten Fantina, who was widely regarded as one of the most powerful gym leaders in the region.

"It feels like if I can beat her, I can beat them all!" Max declared, pumping the air with his fists. Drew laughed, amused at his antics. "I'm so pumped! Wait till I tell May I beat Fantina, the legendary coordinator. She's gonna be so jealous!"

"I bet" Drew played along, knowing May would simply be pleased for her brother. "You did well, considering you're about the size of a potted plant."

"Thanks, weenie" Max replied brightly. "Yaknow, with you being a massive dweeb and all, I'm surprised your advice came in handy. But here we are! The world is full of surprises."

"I guess so" Drew chuckled, not bothering to hide his amusement. "You'll do well. You're headed to Pastoria next, right?"

"That's right! Grovyle is hyped to wipe out a water gym" Max nodded eagerly, folding his arms and tilting his head upwards as he grinned confidently. "You're going to Veilstone right?"

"Fourth contest is there" Drew replied, with a small nod of confirmation. "Well shortstop, it's been strangely not awful travelling with you. See you 'round."

"Yeah, thanks, ya big loser" Max replied, although wavering a little. He was running out of well-intentioned insults. Drew nodded, and turned on his heel to walk away. He'd made some good progress, when Max called after him, leaving him to pause and glance over his shoulder.

"You Maples sure are sentimental." Drew smirked a little. "What?"

"Just, er… I hope things work out with May" Max flushed, shrugging. "It really would be nice to have you around, I guess."

* * *

 **North Sinnoh**

* * *

Staying in Sinnoh over Christmas meant he could hit the first contest of the New Year, which was always the lowest attended, and always the highest quality of the season. Only the coordinators who were either really serious, or very local, attended. Those who were serious were naturally the strongest, and those who were local knew the audience well and knew what would work well for them. Drew had been looking forward to this contest all season. After this, he was planning on taking a few months out from contests to train, before getting his last ribbon a little later on. He had time to burn, and this would be his fourth ribbon already.

The contest was sparsely attended, as he's anticipated. And finally, there was a familiar face. Marina was there, in all her overconfident glory, with a few Pokémon he hadn't seen from her before. She was using a Jigglypuff called Pink in her appeal, which seemed to be quite experienced, so he was surprised not to have seen it in Johto. When she came back to the locker room after her appeal and saw him, her face split into a huge grin and her eyes seemed to light up, and Drew instantly felt irked at her presence.

"Drew Hayden," she stated, smiling as she approached him. "Well I'll be. I'd heard a coordinator from Hoenn was tearing through the contests this year, and I'd be damned if it isn't you."

"What can I say, it's been almost too easy" he shrugged, not making eye contact. Marina laughed in a tinkling, effervescent sort of way.

"Yeah, I've felt the same. I thought since Sinnoh had a little more history in coordinating than Johto the contests might be more of a challenge, but I'm yet to lose" she sighed, almost as though it wearied her. "It takes all the fun out of it, I guess."

"You didn't have that opinion when May beat you" Drew commented stiffly, and Marina gave another long, hearty laugh.

"Ah May, what a character. You know, as desperately as I wanted to beat her, I'm almost glad I didn't" Marina told him lightly. Drew looked at her oddly. "Like… I don't know. It made me want to win more. And I know I can never let myself lose to her again. I've never had anything like that, someone I refuse to lose to. Do you know what I mean?"

"Oddly, yes, I do" Drew almost smiled. "She has that effect."

* * *

Marina beat him in the final, which frustrated him to no end. She hugged him without his permission after the contest, thanking him for her first difficult match of the season, and nearly skipped away she was so pleased with herself. He had plenty of time, and many more contests he could enter, but it threw him a little to not have won straight away again, and it threw him even more to have lost to her when he suspected May would have won again. It made the experience a little more interesting for him though, and he found himself training hard on the outskirts of Veilstone to re submerge himself in his work. There was something about Marina that May could take down, but Drew couldn't. Focus. He just needed more focus.

"How ya doing there, grumpy?" Dawn was a surprise visitor. He'd imagined she'd be spending this time with her family, as it was just following Christmas, but she appeared seemingly out of nowhere, perching herself on a stray log in the clearing where he was training. He turned to her, a little irritated at the unwanted presence, his Driftloom pausing as he did.

"Fine" Drew replied shortly. "Yourself?"

"Oh great!" She replied, standing and twirling. "Do you like my new coat? It's almost identical to my old one, except these pockets are deeper. I didn't know how to tell Mom it was just like my old one, but she got it for me for Christmas so I just pretended it was fine. Moms, ey?"

"It's a lovely coat" Drew sighed, a little weary. "I'm kinda trying to train, here…"

"Ah, say no more!" Dawn strutted herself in front of him, her Piplup hopping along behind her. "Why not battle me? I came second in a grand festival last year, I'm pretty good. It'll be a nice warm up match for you for your next contest!"

"Er, thanks" Drew blinked. "But I'm not really…"

"I saw you lose to that blue haired girl," Dawn cut in quickly. "Totally sucks. Battle me and get your mind off it."

"What, take out frustrations from one girl with blue hair on another?" Drew scoffed, and Dawn gave a light, sweet giggle.

"Sure. Why not?" She chirped. Piplup ran forward eagerly. "Come on! We need some practice too!"

"Alright then, Driftloom, forwards!"

The battle was much harder than Drew had anticipated, another tough battle with a tough opponent. Driftloom was becoming a much stronger battler too, though, and his Shadow Ball was nothing to sniff at. But Piplup's Whirlpool kept him on his toes, and Drew had a few moments where he thought he'd lost it.

"Piplup, get in close with peck, and then follow up with a close range bubblebeam!" Dawn ordered, flinging her arm forward dramatically. Drew clenched his teeth, not willing to lose. He had to think quickly though.

"Try and dodge, and fly higher" Drew began, but he didn't have time, and Driftloom was already being knocked back by that bubble beam. "... Spin! Try and catch those bubbles and spin them with you!" Driftloom worked quickly, and soon was surrounded by a pretty vortex of Piplup's glowing bubble attack. Dawn paused for a moment, mesmerised. "Now follow up with ominous wind, push the attack back onto Piplup!" As Driftloom charged his counter strike, he began to glow a beautiful, eerie white, and Drew halted alongside Dawn, watching closely. Driftloom's shape began to morph, and grow, and change, and suddenly it was not Driftloom spinning before them, but a thick skinned, powerful Drifblim. Drew let out a breathy, half laugh, half gasp, and his newly evolved Pokémon shot the most powerful ominous wind he'd seen yet back at the small penguin Pokémon, intertwined with the pretty bubble beam that had been sent at them. Piplup was sent flying, and it was clear Drew had won.

"That was insane!" Dawn cheered, not at all disheartened, as she scooped up her partner Pokémon. "Seriously, so cool!"

"You too, your Piplup is very powerful" Drew nodded, smiling to himself as he petted his Drifblim gently. "I can see how you won the last Wallace Cup."

"Thanks!" Dawn chirped. "Well, I can see why you're a top coordinator! So what's next for you?"

"I'm going to make a detour, head north" Drew said wearily, not wanting to elaborate. "Pick up another contest between now and the one in Sunyshore in a few months. I think there's one in Celestic Town. You?"

"Ah! Yes, I think there's one there in a few weeks" Dawn nodded, smiling. "No need to worry! I'm headed to Unova for a few weeks, to catch up with Ash over there. I used to travel with him - you knew him too, right? It's been awhile since I've seen him so it'd be cool to catch up with him. And after that, I'm going to head to Johto for the Wallace Cup."

"Ah, it's in Johto this year?" Drew looked up, and Dawn hummed to confirm.

"Ever since you and May faced off in the Grand Festival, people don't stop talking about Johto!" Dawn giggled. "Wallace must have jumped on board!"

"I'm not surprised" Drew grinned, flicking his hair from his face. "I mean, I was pretty great."

"I strongly dislike you due to you being an ass." Dawn informed him calmly.

"Oh wow, my feelings are so wounded" Drew snorted, rolling his eyes. "Hey, why are you even in Veilstone? Doesn't everyone who hangs out with Ash care about family and togetherness and sentimental things like Christmas?"

"Yeah, I was in Twinleaf till yesterday, then I got the train over" she replied, a little nervous. He paused.

"Dawn, why are you in Veilstone?" He asked, a little confused, but she waved him off with an anxious laugh.

"Can't a girl have secrets?" She teased, turning away from him with a flourish. "I have somewhere to be. Later, Drew. Merry Christmas."

* * *

It took a very long time for Drew to reach Snowpoint City. Stopping at the Celestic Town contest on the way had meant the journey had taken longer than he'd wanted, but it meant he was back on schedule of having four of his ribbons by the time he came north, and it gave him a little security, knowing he had the time for this excursion. It took weeks to get there, and a lot of time hiking through thick, powdery snow that often came up to his waist. It was spring now, and he had hoped that meant the weather would have cleared a little, but he had been wrong to think that. Snowpoint was known for blizzards even in the middle of summer. He didn't know how May had managed it last year, but he didn't envy her hunting around for the right place to evolve Eevee out in those snowstorms.

The Pokémon Center was like a beacon of hope to him. The moment he stepped inside it was like being enveloped by heat, and slowly, he could massage some circulation back into his fingers and feet, which felt like they had been numb for weeks straight. It was very beautiful out there, yes. But he despised it. Growing up in Hoenn meant growing up with very little snow, and blistering hot summers that left you sunburnt if you left the house longer than ten minutes at a time. He did not appreciate the cold.

He checked into a room (the Nurse Joy was surprised to see him, raising an eyebrow and telling him there was no contest around here any time soon, and only trainers ever came up this way for the gym matches. He ignored her, and immediately left her to ponder his actions alone while she checked over his Pokémon) and ran a scaldingly hot bath straight away, It burnt him a little as he first got in, but he preserved, not caring that it had left him a little pink, like he'd been slightly parboiled.

Once he was out, he dressed in his night clothes and lay out over his bed, feeling every muscle ache underneath him. It felt like it had been a long time since he'd slept in anything but a sleeping bag on a cold, wet floor, and it was therapeutic to have that kind of comfort again. He took a moment to plug in his phone - it hadn't seen a plug socket in a while - and let it open up before he gave in to sleep. It was early evening, but he already felt his eyes dropping. There were a few messages on his phone - one from Solidad, telling him to call her to catch up at some point, about three from Max with updates as to his Pokémon and badges, which he immediately deleted, and then one from Dawn, which struck him as a little odd. She'd sent it earlier that day. The message in general made him feel a little ill.

 _Hey grumpy! Watch the Wallace Cup opening ceremony tonight, you won't regret it! Hugs and kisses from your favourite person ever xoxoxox_

Not every Pokémon center had televisions in the rooms, but he was lucky enough to be in one that did, although it had a screen the size of his fist and awful speakers. But he fiddled with it as best he could to get it on, and decided he'd only watch the first ten minutes before he went to sleep. Opening ceremonies for the Wallace Cup were similar to the Grand Festival - the coordinators all came out in a big group, notable coordinators, like previous Grand Festival winners or runners up, were interviewed, and Wallace gave an appeal to mark the opening. The appeals wouldn't happen until the next day.

The screen crackled to life, flickering occasionally, but he could make out what was going on. He'd moved it to the bedside table, so he could watch it horizontally, and watched with frequent yawns as a massive crowd of coordinators emerged onto the screen, waving in a blur. The television was so bad, he couldn't make anyone out, but the announcers mentioned anyone he should take note of. Solidad was entering, which made him smile. Her year off had clearly left her bored. Dawn was made a fuss of, as the reigning champion of the Wallace Cup. A couple of other names were thrown about, and he was starting to nod off when they started talking about the Johto Grand Festival from last year, so his ears pricked up a little.

' _... and of course, this location on Whirl Islands is the home of the infamous finals battle from last year, where Drew Hayden narrowly beat May Maple after both displayed a startling show of spontaneous mega evolution!'_

' _That's right - Drew Hayden hasn't made an appearance in a Wallace Cup yet, and isn't present this year, but May Maple came second in last year's Wallace Cup at Lake Valor, and she's here again this year!'_

Drew jumped to attention, immediately forgetting he'd been tired. He grabbed the television set, holding it in front of him, barely making out the blurry shape that way May as she walked along with the rest of the crowd, waving to the audience with a big, happy smile. It was too bad quality a screen to make out much, but she was there and she was competing, and he instantly relaxed again. He watched the ceremony tentatively, hopeful that she'd be one of the contestants interviewed, which seemed likely as she was part of the battle which brought the Wallace Cup to Johto.

Solidad was interviewed first. She talked about how excited she was to come back after a brief sabbatical, and how nice it had been to spend some time with her family in Kanto, but that next season she was ready to come back refreshed and take on another region, though she hadn't decided where yet. The Wallace Cup was popular among coordinators who took time off, so it made sense that she'd be there. Dawn was also interviewed, and she was all blushes and smiles as they complimented her win last year. They asked her if she was ready to face off against her finals competitor from last year, May, and Dawn was quick to gush that May was one of her best friends and it was just so nice to be competing with her again. Eventually, after listening through countless interviews that Drew really didn't care about, they brought her up.

"Now, we're here with May Maple, the Princess of Petalburg!" The interviewer was a little overexcited, having met a lot of famous coordinators that day, and May seemed a little overwhelmed. "To be honest, you've graduated from Petalburg a bit, maybe we should be calling you the Princess of Hoenn!"

"You're very sweet," May replied shyly, twisting a strand of hair around her finger. Drew smiled. She had always been awkward with the press.

"Well May, it seems you've not been competing so far this season! Are you going to make a late surge somewhere and try and catch up in time for a Grand Festival anywhere?"

"Oh no, I'm waiting until next season, where I intend to take home the Ribbon Cup I've been working towards all year!" May seemed a little more confident now. "I've been busy in Kalos, learning more about Mega Evolution and expanding and training my team. I'm really excited to trial run a few of them in this contest!"

"Well, that's very exciting!" The interviewer continued. "So what are your plans post Wallace Cup?"

"I'm going to go see my parents in Hoenn, I didn't see them over Christmas and I have some making up to do!" May giggled, a little bashful. "And then after that… well, I have someone I need to catch up with. I think I'll be pretty busy up till the next season, that's for sure!"

"May, I'm sure you know the world is still reeling from your incredible battle with Drew Hayden last time you were here in Whirl Islands. Have you any comments to make after that extraordinary battle?"

"Well, I didn't know, actually!" May laughed, unsure. "No one in Kalos really reports on contests over here, so I've been in a bit of a bubble. I sure was surprised when I came back and people were still talking about it! And, it's so lovely to be back here at this gorgeous arena, it's bringing back so many fond memories! But… well, I guess all I can say about that battle is that it inspired me to take the next steps in growing as a coordinator, and now I feel stronger than ever. I'm very grateful for that, and the right person definitely won, Drew totally deserved it!"

Her interview ended shortly after, and Drew decided it was top of his list of worst conducted interviews of all time. His heart was pounding a little at her declaration she had someone she needed to catch up with. In his head, he was repeating it over, and over and over, trying to think of any way she could have been talking about anyone but him. If she'd have meant Max, she would have just said it was her brother, she wouldn't have been secretive about it, no, it had to have been him. He was certain.

* * *

The next morning, he dressed in his spare set of clothes while he left his usual set to wash while he was out. Headed back out into the cold seemed like a dangerously stupid thing to do, but he had to leave at some point, and apparently, the cabin he was looking for wasn't too far away.

The snow wasn't as heavy around Snowpoint City itself. He passed the gym as he followed the instructions he'd memorised, and continued north. There was a temple, and so he turned left and kept going. Somewhere, hidden within the trees, there was a small wooden cabin, that would have closed curtains and a red door. When he found it, he was immediately anxious. He'd allowed himself to focus on everything but this moment since he'd spoken to his father back in Hearthome, which felt like a lifetime ago. But now we was here, and stood in front of her home, and every organ in his body felt knotted and wrong. He wanted so badly to hate her.

He knocked lightly, so lightly there was a chance she wouldn't have heard. Drew flexed his fingers by his sides, more nervous than he'd ever been for any contest or battle in his life. The door swung open brashly, with no hesitation or pause. A woman he had never seen in person before, only in pictures and on television screens, stood in front of him. Her hair was thin and blonde, and fell to her shoulders neatly, cut at the ends in a perfect straight line. Her skin seemed tired and sad, with dark circles under her eyes and lines of age wrinkling her neck. She was wrapped in lots of layers, making her skeletal, thin form seem plush with wool. Her head tilted to the side, and she sniffed a little, like she was unwell. The cabin was full of warmth; there was a fireplace burning, and the hum of a television showing contests in the background. She was watching the Wallace Cup too.

"... Drew" she murmured, reaching forward and brushing his jaw with a single finger. "I read in Coordinators Weekly you prefer to be called Drew."

"Yeah" Drew replied blankly, nodding. He wasn't sure what else to add. "It's, er, nice to meet you."

"You too" she said back, equally as uncomfortable. "Come inside. There are blankets to keep out this awful cold, and I'm watching a contest over in Johto. I'm sure you'll recognise the arena!" She stepped aside, and Drew entered after her awkwardly, knocking the snow from his shoes as he did so as not to leave a trail.

"The Wallace Cup" he acknowledged, as she shut the door behind him. "A few friends of mine have entered."

"Excellent, well let's watch it together" his mother smiled. "You can tell me all about them!"

"Sure." Drew wasn't sure what else they really had to talk about. So they sat quietly, relishing the warmth from the fireplace, watching the appeals round. Dawn was the first up out of people he knew. She looked pretty in her contest dress. Her hair was up in a ponytail, and she had a frilly white dress that complimented her complexion. Her appeal was daring, with her Quilava performing against the watery surroundings, creating almost a sauna like effect on the stage, making her stand out clearly from everyone else, as almost everyone was performing with water types. He commented that to his mother, who nodded sagely.

"Just what I was thinking" she agreed. "She thought it through as well, her dress matches the steam that filled the arena. She needs to be careful her Quilava isn't consumed by it all though."

"Yeah, I heard she's had problems with that in the past" Drew nodded. "She's a tough battler though. I actually had a practice match against her a month or so ago."

"Oh really?" His mother glanced at him. "So this is one of your friends?"

"Sort of. We have a mutual friend" Drew corrected. "She's not a bad coordinator though. Annoying, as a person."

"The best friends tend to be." Her reply had something that sounded inherently like motherly advice, and it made his skin crawl. "You don't need to look so uncomfortable. Is it the cabin? Is something wrong?"

"No, no. I'm fine." Drew shrugged her off.

"I love this cabin," she continued, sighing into the sofa a little. "It's where I come when the world is a bit much. I'm sure you read the papers. Or if not, I'm sure your father told you all about it. My problems."

"I've heard a little here and there" Drew admitted, not looking at her, but instead staring at the screen. Some guy called Brendan was performing. Drew had seen him around Sinnoh a few times.

"Well, I'm trying to straighten out" she continued, not noticing his lack of attention. "I'm detoxing all of the bad things, and I'm picking up all the good things I missed along the way. And I finally have the chance to make things right with you, which is pretty great too."

"You had a lot of chances" Drew replied gently, not wanting to sound harsh. "I don't mean to come across rudely, but I turn nineteen in a few months. There has been plenty of time in which you could have contacted me, but you chose not to."

"That's not true." His mother frowned, almost confused, and Drew felt his neck stiffen. "I tried to get in touch so many times. So many. But your father, he was angry with me for leaving him to continue coordinating, and he told me you didn't need me in your life. I tried to tell him it wasn't his decision to make, but yours, but he didn't listen. He only changed his mind now because he thought you'd turn him down."

"That's absurd" Drew scoffed, though he was a little unsure. His father _had_ seemed very surprised that he'd decided to meet with her. "He wouldn't have done that."

"Yes, Drew" she continued, a little sad. "Yes, he would."

They sat quietly together again, watching the Wallace Cup. It was awkward and heavy and Drew began to feel a little sick.

"I watched all of your contests" she finally continued, sniffing again. "You're very talented."

"Thanks" Drew didn't really care what she thought of his coordinating.

"Do you believe me?" She asked, not dropping the subject. Drew shuffled about in his seat a little.

"Maybe?" He still wouldn't look at her. "I don't know. It's all a bit weird. It's a weird day. I'll make up my mind later."

"Of course" she agreed, biting her lip. "I understand. Oh - oh look, what a stupid move. That boy really thinks using electric moves are going to work on that stage? The water is just going to swallow him whole. What idiocy."

"It'll be uncontrollable as well, he'll have no choice over the outcome. There's taking a risk, and then there's being a total fool." Drew shook his head a little at the screen, almost in disbelief.

"Ah, see, you have my eye" she chimed, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. "You think like me. Your father would be saying about how he's using science to his advantage and trying to do something a little different. One time, he tried to pull off an appeal using a great big Wailord, it took up most of the damn arena. And he claimed it was artistic. He was wrong."

"Dad never struck me as the expressive, risk taking type" Drew turned to her, a little confused, and she gave a cool laugh.

"Your father used to use novelty items in his appeals. And every battle, he fought head on, with no real strategy. He believed in his Pokémon, he thought that was enough. He won a few ribbons, lucked out a few times. Once, he even beat me. But he refused to learn, or adapt. He was a failure." She folded her arms neatly, sinking into the cushions around her snugly. "But there was something enchanting about his failing. It never deterred him. He loved coordinating very much."

"I see" Drew nodded, feeling as though he understood his mother a little better, and turned back to the screen. They were just about to announce May. "This next one. Watch her. I want your opinion."

May did not run out, as she normally did, but stepped forward calmly, almost serenely, and smiled sweetly at the audience. Max had been right, she did look different. Her hair had completely grown out at the back, and she bunched it up into a ponytail so to keep her signature style. Her bandana was nowhere to be seen, but she did have a blue headband, holding her hair back a little and leaving a distinctive, shimmering earing visible. Her dress was simple, a plain blue, with a squared neckline and a flared skirt. She looked taller. Her face looked thinner, and more angular. There was a lean, wire like muscle to her that he'd never noticed before, flexing and shifting as she lifted a pokeball to her lips, her eyes looking up at the judges and shaded in with black, sharp lines he'd never seen on her before.

"Altaria," she murmured, before twisting her body back with her arm, flinging her pokeball into the air with a spin. "Take the stage!"

Her Altaria soared overhead, glowing in the light reflections of the water. She flew in neat, distinct patterns, catching the water in the arena with her wings and bringing them up into a pretty water show. She used gusts of air and special attacks to keep hitting at the pool, creating a water fountain show that sprayed a delighted audience. To finish, she dove into the pool while spiralling, and then filled her cottony wings with water, that she sent down like drops of rain while she flew overhead again, catching the light and filling the stage with rainbows and refracted light.

"I think she's very talented," his mother nodded, quietly impressed. "She used the water without relying on a clichéd water type, and she used the whole arena. Plus, her Altaria looks very well raised, and very beautiful. A very strong coordinator indeed."

"I'm glad you agree," he turned to her, tauntingly. "Because she was a failure once too. She used novelty items, like frisbees and bandanas, and she attacked head on without thinking it through. But with time, and practice, and the opportunity to keep going, she's become one of the greatest coordinators I know, and without question, my fiercest rival."

"I see," his mother suppressed a smile, shaking with laughter. "I understand. You're angry that I denied your father the chance to become like this May."

"No" he shook his head, leaning back. "I'm angry you think you have the right to call anyone a failure, when you're locked in a cabin detoxing drugs out of your system, sat next to your eighteen year old son you just met for the first time." His mother looked at him, a little amused, but not offended.

"You're absolutely right, of course" she conceded, sniffing again. "But I don't regret things I've done in my life. I've had the highest of all the highs, which means in return I need the lowest of the lows, to compensate. And I've accepted my fate. My only regret, is the person sat next to me." Drew looked at her strangely, arching an eyebrow. "You won't forgive me. I'm not surprised. I've not exactly been a mother."

"I won't be gluing pasta together to make gifts for you when mother's day rolls around, that's for sure" he scowled.

"You're a bit old for that, regardless" she agreed, snorting with laughter. "I was an awful mother, leaving you and Matthew like that. But honey, you weren't exactly planned. I found out I was pregnant with you just before the final of a grand festival. Your father asked me to marry him, and I said no, because I didn't want to marry him. I gave birth to you, and I held you, and I told you I loved you. And then your father held you, and you had his eyes, and I think… I think I remember seeing him cry. And I'd never seen that before. And I knew he loved you in the same way I did, like you were the most precious thing on this world." She paused, as though straining for the memory. "I was a bit of a mess. I'd stayed sober for the pregnancy, at least. But I knew it wouldn't be long until I fell back into my old ways. And the only things that kept me sober, were either the knowledge I was pregnant with you, or the focus that contests took. So I had to go back to contests, or else I would have been a drugged up mother to a new-born. And I wouldn't let myself do that to you, when you had a father who would raise you with the love I felt, but didn't know how to translate."

"What a pretty story" Drew tried not to concede to her words. "You never wrote, or called, or visited. I didn't even know you existed until I was seven, I'd always just assumed you were dead."

"Your father stopped me from getting in touch, I told you that" she continued, a little frustrated. "He said it would be confusing for you, that you were a sulky enough child as it was."

"I wasn't sulky" Drew grunted, watching the screen again. "I was only very occasionally sulky."

"I'm sure" his mother teased, pressing a hand to his cheek. "... I really do love you. I always did."

"... Mom." He tried the word, but it left his mouth feeling fuzzy. Her eyes shone at him brightly. "I'm glad to have come here."

"Me too" she echoed. "Now, if we're going to dismantle every appeal we see, and talk about why it's awful, we're going to need tea."

* * *

 **Nebraska**

* * *

His final ribbon still felt like it came too easily, but he decided that kind of surmised his time in Sinnoh pretty nicely. Still, he accepted his ribbon gratefully, and added it to his collection. Five ribbons, in six contests, the same as he had in Johto. He was happy enough with that. And Sunyshore City was quite cool, he thought, with the solar panel roads and the lighthouse. The gym there was supposedly the toughest in the whole region, and he wondered for a moment if Max had beaten it yet. The first thing he did when he left the contest hall was call his mother, as he'd promised he would after his next contest. She was thrilled with his win, and excited for the Grand Festival, and even asked him if he'd hate it if she came to watch. He felt a little weird about it, but told her he didn't mind, and she informed him happily she'd book her ferry ticket from Snowpoint to Sunyshore first thing in the morning, and that he was worth the seasickness. Drew felt his stomach flip a little at her words. Every conversation they had, there seemed to be something new linking them. Genetics were powerful, and it irritated him more than anything else.

The Grand Festival wasn't for another month or two, but he wanted to spend as much time as possible training. As much as he'd had an easy season, he knew with competitors like Marina ahead, he wouldn't have an easy ride in the Grand Festival. There was a lot of work to be done, and he wouldn't let anything distract him. He ended up training at the Grand Festival site though, as Lake Valor proved to be excellent training grounds and the lake itself provided a variety of training options for his appeals. He stayed at the Pokémon center, as the Grand Festival dorms weren't open yet, which was convenient as Nurse Joy could check on his Pokémon after every training session they had, and he could get to know her a little, as he suspected she might be a judge - most local Nurse Joys were.

When the dorm rooms finally opened, he was the first one to register, so he got the closest room to the lobby. It meant he was on the bottom floor, which wasn't his favourite, but he didn't mind that so much. The dorm rooms were infinitely more comfortable in the Pokémon center rooms, as well. Drew was just headed out to do some more training when he spotted the face he least wanted to see, which left him curling his fingers into his palms and letting his nails dig at the muscle under his thumbs a little.

"Ah, Drew" his father greeted, turning away from some of his colleagues as Drew entered. "Excuse me, everyone. That's my son, I imagine he's just entered. I'll be back in a few moments." Matthew came towards him in firm strides, long, powerful legs bringing him closer. Drew knew he was scowling, and his father seemed to have anticipated something before arriving towards him. "Congratulations on your five ribbons."

"Apparently," Drew began, his voice shaking a little. "My mother very much wanted to see me. But every attempt she made to contact me was blocked. I wonder who did that?" Matthew sighed, shaking his head a little.

"I was afraid this might happen," he said, tired. "Andrew. Your mother never tried to contact you. Only once, which was about a month before I met you in Hearthome. I give you my word."

"Well, maybe I don't believe that" Drew continued, a little harsher than necessary. "She was doing what she thought was right, and you punished her for that because you're sour that she actually got to make something of herself in coordinating, and you wasted your life with nothing to show for it. And it makes me sick to even look at you, so please get out of my way."

Matthew paused for a moment, observing his son. He was breathing heavily, and his eyes were narrowed in a way he'd never seen before. Taking one last second longer, finally Matthew stepped neatly to the side, and allowed Drew to walk onwards towards the exit.

* * *

Drew was still shaking a little when he arrived at the Pokémon Center to pick up his Pokémon. He needed to get across to Sunyshore to meet his mother at the docks, and had figured it was a short flight there and back if he took Flygon, sure he could carry both himself and his mother if she was without a flying type. Nurse Joy passed him his six pokeballs with a bright smile and a wave as he turned to leave, and Drew thanked her politely. Before he could reach the door, though, there was a tap on one of his shoulders. Instinctively, he knew to turn back the opposite way. Dawn was pouting a little.

"You didn't fall for it" she complained.

"I'm not five." Drew reasoned, and she sighed, nodding.

"You aren't as fun as Ash" she told him bluntly, and Drew shrugged.

"I can't say I'm insulted. If anything, that really deeply pleases me." He nearly cracked a smile, weirdly pleased to see her. "Hello Dawn. How was Unova, and Johto?"

"Unova was _so_ much fun!" She told him brightly, falling into step with him. "I mean, it's so different to any other region I've seen, and they had this awesome battle competition but I lost to Iris, a dragon type master that Ash is travelling with. Her Dragonite is _amazing_. Anyway, we also hung out at Undella Town, which is basically a resort. And then Johto was fun, though it sucked losing to May in the semi-finals, but she totally deserved to win, she was like, unstoppable. And Johto is super pretty as well; the Whirl Islands are totally fun and full of interesting stuff, May showed me this stupid island with loads of fat Pidgey and I nearly died laughing."

"That's mean to the Pidgey, Dawn" Drew chastised, smirking. Dawn blushed, but then shrugged.

"I fed them some of my lunch, to make myself feel less guilty" she replied meekly. "Still! I had a lot of fun. And now I'm here, obviously. I'm supporting a friend from my hometown, but I look forward to seeing you perform too!"

"That's kind of you Dawn," Drew nodded, not having really paid attention to the last few things she'd said. They were outside the center now, and he had Flygon's pokeball in hand. "I'm afraid I need to take off, I'm collecting my mother from Sunyshore Port, so…"

"Say no more! Have a good flight!" Dawn chirped, crossing her legs as she spoke.

* * *

His mother had a beautiful, powerful Skarmory. The steel of his wings caught the light beautifully as they flew, graceful and clear as they soared just above him, his mother's blonde hair lighter in the sun. She seemed less tired and her skin wasn't as loose as he remembered. But she was still terrifyingly thin, like the bones could break through the papery, pale skin at any moment. She'd told him she would take him out for dinner, tomorrow evening, and it had filled him with a weird kind of calm happiness. After he'd made sure she'd gotten to her hotel safely, he returned to the Pokémon Center, wanting to let Flygon rest well before they returned to training the next day. A familiar figure was stood in the doorway, looking at the sky anxiously, and looked petrified that he was there. Drew frowned. Landing went smoothly, and Flygon returned, he faced Max with an uneasy blink and limited conversation.

"Hey, Max" Drew greeted awkwardly. "You look like I've brought a deadly disease with me. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he stammered, before shaking himself off a little. "I mean, sorry, yeah, I'm fine. Come on in."

"You don't get to invite people into a Pokémon center, Max, it's public space" Drew reminded him casually, shoving his hands in his pockets. Max laughed abruptly, and a little too loudly. Drew grimaced, before walking past him. "You're freaking me out, jeez." Drew didn't turn back, instead depositing his Flygon back with Nurse Joy calmly, and chatting to her briefly about how much flying he'd done and checking over his wings for any problems with turbulence.

Something, somewhere in his brain, clicked into place.

He heard the mechanical front doors slide open again, with that slick, automated sound. There were a few footsteps, but they stopped pretty quickly, like they were waiting. There was a lump in his throat, one that didn't go away no matter how many times he swallowed, and it hurt like someone had shoved an acorn into his windpipe and he could feel it protruding forward to the point where he moved his hand to his throat to see if something was there. If it was who he thought it was, they weren't saying anything yet. She coughed a little though, and it sent his chest into a quick, violent spasm, and there was a very strong possibility he might be sick. But he turned, slowly, finally, to recognise that really, yes, it had nearly been a year since he'd seen her, but there she stood.

"Hello Drew" May greeted politely, raising a single hand. The first thing he noticed were her glasses. She hadn't been wearing them in the Wallace Cup, so they were a surprise. But they suited her, they weren't big and bulky like her brothers, but rectangular and neatly suited her face, like they'd just been fitted. Her hair was still grouped up in that ponytail at the back, like they had been when he'd watched her appeal at his mother's cabin, but it was fastened by her old red bandana in a big bow. There were so many details a camera couldn't convey to him. Her cheekbones were more pronounced, and she'd lost the last bit of baby fat from her youth, suddenly looking so much older and so much more intimidatingly pretty than she ever had before, though intimidating seemed like a weird word to fit with May. He'd never seen her dressed so impractically before, either. But she wasn't travelling at that point, there was no reason to be confined to clothes that were easy to move in. She must have arrived in Sinnoh a few days ago. Sinnoh was still cooler than most places, even in the summer, so she was wrapped in fluffy, woollen jumpers and form fitting black pants, and he had to look away for a moment.

"May" he acknowledged, a little weakly. Max was tucked under her arm, watching him carefully. "I wasn't… expecting you."

"No, I didn't think you would be," she agreed, a little breathily. "I planned to, um, surprise you, tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Drew's voice felt a little thick. May smiled, almost shy.

"Well, I promised I would. Remember?" Her voice sounded like it was years, eons away from him, and he had to shake his head to refocus himself. She fidgeted with her glasses a little, pushing them further up her nose.

"Yes. Yes, I remember." Pausing, Drew looked down, staring at the floor very attentively. "I, er, I have to go."

"You don't" May challenged, gently, and began to walk towards him, but he raised a hand to stop her, a little pale. "You don't have to go."

"I do" Drew replied tersely, before steeling himself to walk past her, willing his legs to move. "I… I'll talk to you later. I'm sorry, I just…"

"It's fine" May nodded back, hiding her face behind her hair a little as he walked away.

* * *

 **Happy Birthday**

* * *

"So he just… bolted?" Dawn sighed, leaning against her hand, with her elbow propped up on the table. They were sat in a small coffee shop, around the corner from the contest hall, for a private, emergency conference. "That's so dumb. He's dumb. May, have you ever considered the possibility he is just too dumb for you?" She drained the last of her tea, raising an eyebrow at May pointedly. Her friend scowled.

"He's not dumb" May corrected quickly, stirring her coffee absentmindedly. "But yeah, he totally bolted. He just stared at me for a bit, and then apologised and left. I think that means I shocked him. Or he's angry with me." Her expression changed quickly. "Oh no. Oh no, is he angry with me? I don't think I could deal if he was angry."

"May, you're so over thinking this." Dawn nearly laughed, reaching across to tap under her friend's chin. "I'm gonna ask you to regulate your breathing, and drink more of your coffee, and then relax. He was just spooked. He's like… like if you approach a nervous Pokémon, like… like a really nervous Dunsparce."

"Why on earth did you choose Dunsparce?" May asked, a little incredulously.

"He just - look, this is my analogy, please stop talking" Dawn scowled, before collecting herself again. "He's like a really nervous Dunsparce. You spooked him, and now he's wriggling away. But he's slow, so you'll catch him."

"That's a really, really bad analogy" May told her briskly. "You should have said Abra, because he teleported away. That would have been better. Or a Ponyta. They're actually known for bolting. That is a common phrase. Or if you wanted to go down the slow route, then there are much more appropriate Pokémon to have chosen, like…"

"Look, May, analogies are not my strong point, and you're kinda bringing me down." Dawn gave her a pointed look, and May giggled into her coffee, wrinkling her nose at her friend. "He'll be fine. He just needs to process the fact that you're here. You threw him off. I would eat my beanie if he's even a tiny bit mad. No need to worry, right?"

"I'm pretty sure that's when I'm supposed to say that that's when I worry the most" May sighed, placing her empty mug down gently. Dawn was about to argue back, before stopping, and looking at May a little harder. Trying not to look at her, May took her glasses off and polished them with the edge of her shirt, just for something to do with her hands.

"Aw man, you're really down about this" she mumbled sadly, reaching across to hold her friend's hand as a silent gesture of support. May bit her lip, shrugging.

"It's just me being dumb" she replied, hunching her shoulders around her ears. "I've spent a year imagining what it would be like when I saw him again. I thought he would be happy, or at the very least he would come up to me and tease me and I'd get mad and he'd say… _something_ , and we'd figure out where we left off. I had all these daydreams, where he was so ecstatic and he'd… I dunno." May stopped, feeling her lip tremble. "I didn't ever imagine he might not be ready to see me. I never thought… I never thought he wouldn't be ready."

"Oh May," Dawn felt her chest constrict. "May, he's just surprised. He's spent a year pining for you and trying to pretend to everyone he knows that he hasn't. It'll take him a second to get that guard back down again. That doesn't mean he doesn't feel ready for you, he just… I mean, let the poor guy catch his breath, okay?"

"You're totally right" May nodded. "I know all this. But… the thing is, I never thought of this before it happened. At no point did I think about how unfair it might be to spring this on him. I should have. It was really, grossly unfair of me."

"May, stop it." Dawn jokingly slapped her wrist. May pouted, mocking her. "You're overthinking, again. What did he say to you when you left?"

"He told me to come back" May mumbled, letting her hair fall forward again.

"And what have you done?" Dawn prompted, smiling as she reached forward to tuck some of her friend's hair behind her ear. May smiled weakly.

"I came back." She gave out a shaky breath, before taking her hand back so she could rub under her eyes quickly, double checking there were no inconvenient tears smudging her make up. "Sorry."

"Sh" Dawn tsked, grinning. They sat together in a quiet calm for a moment, while May collected herself a little, breathing slowly. "Hey, there's a guy over there that looks… literally just like Drew. But old." May's ears pricked up at Dawn's words, and she twisted her head to see Matthew, stood impatiently in the line for the barista, tapping his foot a little. May nearly laughed. She figured he wasn't used to waiting around.

"Yeah, that's Drew's dad, Matthew" May explained lightly, though a little uncomfortable. "We aren't exactly each other's biggest fans, but it's really hard to figure out if Drew likes him or not. They have a weird relationship."

"Huh." Dawn pursed her lips. "Weird." They watched Matthew quietly together, occasionally sharing awkward glances and stifling laughter. "It's like looking twenty years into the future."

"I know" May agreed, twisting a strand of hair around her finger. "Oh man, if you think Drew is grumpy? Drew has nothing on this guy. He is resident grumpy. He invented grumpy. He is grump-tastic."

"Good use of the 'tastic' suffix." Dawn nodded, appreciatively. "Good job."

"Thanks," May chirped, pleased. "Oh man, he's coming over isn't he?"

"Yup." Dawn jumped to her feet, grabbing their empty mugs quickly. "Hey May, you want another coffee?" She asked, loudly and obviously, leaving May to stare at her in deep, unsettlingly painful betrayal. "Yeah? I'll be right back sweetheart, anything for my heartbroken bestie!"

"I… are you _serious right now?_ " May hissed, clenching her fists visibly. "Was that little heartbroken jibe really necessary?"

"May, I'm going to forgive your rude reaction, to me buying you a coffee" Dawn told her sweetly, smiling brightly. "Because I know you're in a lot of pain right now, and I know how much your lacklustre reunion with Drew Hayden, coordinator from La Rousse, has deeply upset you." Dawn turned and began to skip away, dodging around a bemused Matthew, who was now close to the table. May decided she didn't care anymore.

"Do you want to die?" May called over to where Dawn now stood in line. The girl waved back obliviously, grinning cheerfully. May groaned, dropping her face into her hands.

"Your friend seems intent on humiliating you" Matthew commented sagely. May nodded, wordlessly. "I like her."

"For some reason, most people do" May replied stiffly, as Matthew sat across from her. "Mr Hayden, it's a pleasure to see you again."

"Lying is unflattering, May" Matthew retorted gruffly. "Shall we speak frankly? I feel like this will work best if we can speak frankly."

"I'm not even sure what this is about" May sighed, a little frustrated. "Do you think I'm here to stop Drew from doing well in the Grand Festival? A conveniently timed distraction to throw him off his game? Or maybe I'm just the devil incarnate, here to spread distrust and unhappiness among the saintly."

"Quite the opposite," Matthew's nose twitched, like he was suppressing a laugh. "Your sense of humour has improved."

"Thanks, I think." May blinked. "What is it?"

"Well, firstly, I should assure you I now understand a little better that you are not a distraction to my son. Therefore, there is no reason for an animosity between us. Actually, that kind of rancour can only make this harder." Matthew paused, and May ducked her head, desperately trying to remember what rancour meant. "Secondly, I may need your help with something. Or maybe, to be more convincing, I think Drew may need your help."

"Wait… I'm sorry, what?" May looked up sharply, her eyes narrowing a little. "Okay, well, firstly, I'm going to need you to speak in words I will understand, and secondly, I'm going to need you to explain that immediately."

* * *

He wasn't quite sure when she'd be back. Nurse Joy had told him she'd gone out with another girl who was staying there, which he presumed was Dawn, so he knew with the pair of them there was no logical way to track them down. Instead, he sat. The lobby was getting busier - a lot more coordinators were booking into the dorms today, so the center was full of travelling companions booking rooms and coordinators getting their Pokémon checked over. It was getting too busy, and too hectic, and too crowded. The more people that bustled around the room, the less comfortable he felt, like they were all watching him sat with his legs crossed and his arms folded, staring pointedly at the door, waiting for her to show up. It made him feel sick.

Drew Hayden, Top Coordinator, was metaphorically staring at the phone, waiting for it to ring. And everyone in the room knew it.

Eventually, Dawn's annoying Piplup popped through the door, with Dawn following close behind, and then finally May. They looked like they were talking quite intensely about something, and May's face was frowning in a way he didn't like much; it was the kind of frown she had when they were in Goldenrod, and she disappeared off to take part in the Wallace Cup, or the look she had when she told him she was leaving for Kalos. It was hard not to associate the frown with bad things. Eventually, she felt his eyes on her, and looked across to him, looking instantly startled. He watched Dawn laugh loudly, and she hugged May loosely around the neck, prodding her cheek in a teasing, taunting way that nearly made him relax, until she skipped away and purposefully passed him on her route to the bedrooms, telling him he looked grumpy again. He glared after her, and she wriggled her fingers in a stupid version of a wave, because everything was stupid, primarily Dawn and her stupid wave. Drew scowled. He was getting too wound up.

May appeared next to him, hovering awkwardly. She silently looked at the seat next to him, and then back to him, and he nodded, trying to soften his face as best he could.

"You look angry" she whispered, glancing up at him for a moment, before staring solidly at her lap. "Are you angry with me?"

"No, May, I'm definitely not angry with you" Drew replied, trying to be gentle, but the words came out a little warped and off. "It's nothing. It's all fine. Everything is fine."

"This is not a definition of fine that I'm aware of." May laughed a little, trying to break the ice a little, and Drew looked down, exhaling a little harsher than he wanted to. "Okay, come on. Come with me," She stood up again, dusting non-existent dust from her lap, and she offered him her hand. Drew watched her for a second, quiet. "Drew, this is the bit where you take my hand, and you stand up, and you follow me."

"I knew that." He moved almost robotically, standing and taking her hand and letting her lead him away. Her hand felt soft, and warm, and she had a really faint smell of coffee beans and then also citrus that was weirdly soothing as a combination. She was leading him through the Pokémon Center rooms, presumably to hers. It was right at the back of the ground floor. He wondered if she was sharing with Dawn, and if she'd be there when they arrived, but when she unlocked the door and knocked it open with her hip, not wanting to let go of his hand, he relaxed when he saw the room was empty, despite the two beds.

"I'm sharing with Max" she explained lightly, finally letting his fingers fall from hers, dropping her room key on a small cabinet to the side of the door and rubbing the back of her neck as she sat down on the closest bed, facing away from him. "He's training at the moment, out by the lake. I think he's nervous about the league. So, there's no one here to look at you and make you feel weird."

"He's battled pretty well, from what I've seen" Drew offered, choosing not to acknowledge her final statement, moving to sit by her. She shuffled along to give him more space, smiling at him sweetly.

"I heard you travelled with him for a while," May said softly, knotting her hands together in her lap. "And that you helped him train for his third gym match. He was really happy when he told me. I think he really enjoyed his time with you."

"He's alright" Drew shrugged, a little embarrassed. "I mean, he wasn't awful to be around."

"Max is annoying as hell, you're allowed to say it" May laughed, falling back and lying against the best. "But he's a good kid."

"Don't worry about it." Drew felt his ears burn. "How was Kalos?"

"Incredible." She shifted slightly, propping herself up against the headboard and making herself comfortable. "It really was. The ferry dropped me off Coumarine City, and from there I went straight to Lumiose City, and it was like _heaven_. I love big cities, but this was on a new level. I need to show you one day" May told him firmly, her eyes shining. Drew relaxed a little more, enjoying listening to her talk. "There were shops like you wouldn't believe. I have blown so much of my savings, but that's okay. It was totally worth it. I mean, it can only work in my favour when I go back to contests and I have all the cute clothes that have ever existed to pick from, right? It's a good thing." Drew snorted with laughter. She giggled at him, shuffling up again, gesturing for him to lie next to her. He paused for a moment, unsure, but eventually allowed her to tug him across a little, and lay next to her on the single bed. Their arms were brushing, and it wasn't long before she'd joined their hands again, lying on her side while he lay on his back, absorbed in her words. "I was staying with Professor Sycamore, who is a total genius. I told him all about our battle, and he wanted to study Blaziken and I's relationship, intrigued that mega evolution could happen without the stones and that we had proof of that. Because normally you need these stones. You need a keystone, which the trainer holds, and a special stone that the Pokémon holds, but it varies between species. I've started wearing my keystone as an earring, see?" She pulled back her hair on the left side of her face, revealing the pretty, rainbow coloured pebble attached to her ear. "I think it's cute."

"It looks heavy" Drew commented gruffly, rearranging his head on the pillow. "Doesn't that hurt, and drag your ear down?"

"Nah, it did the first few days, but then it just felt like any other earring" she explained brightly. "Anyway, then I went on to the tower of mastery in Shalour City. It was so beautiful, Drew, and the views were incredible. That's where I got the key stone. And there was a special stall in Lumiose City with lots of mega stones I could sort through, and I found tons. It's all really cool. It's all powered by the bond between a trainer and a Pokémon, the stones just have this hidden chemical compound which makes it stronger. That's why Absol and Blaziken evolved like that, it was a response to the bonds we have with them as trainers. The stones just… boost it, and make it easier to translate, I guess."

"Hmm," Drew was only half listening at this point, enjoying the rise and fall of her voice. Her hair was brushing his shoulder, and he couldn't think of a time they'd ever been this close to each other before.

"Drew, please pay attention when I'm talking" May teased, turning to him with a raised eyebrow, but he just hummed at her noncommittally, feeling himself grin. "Your mood is all over the place."

"A little" he agreed, shrugging. He couldn't find it in him to care.

"You're really not angry with me?" She checked, tightening her grip on his hand for a second. He shook his head, smiling. Red stained her cheeks, and May grinned stupidly. "Okay. Good. Glad that's covered."

"Very well established" he agreed, watching her giggle peacefully. She began to nervously play with his fingers a little, and it felt very private and intimate, so he let her, not bothered by how strange it felt to have her separate his fingers one by one and trace them with her own. He noticed her hand was shaking a little, like she was nervous.

"What are you doing tonight?" May voiced, bravely, feeling more colour fill her cheeks. "Let's do something."

"I want to, but I can't" Drew grimaced, snapping his fingers shut. "I, er, I'm going out to dinner with someone."

"... Oh." May's change in expression made his stomach drop, and he quickly realised his apprehensive wording was a lot worse than the truth.

"No, wait, not like that, slow down" he backpedalled quickly. "It's, well, it's my mother." May paused for a moment, digesting his words piece by piece, and looked entirely lost.

"... _Oh!_ " Her voice lifted. "Oh," and then dropped again, like it slipped through her fingers. "Your mom is around, huh? What's the story there?"

"I was in Hearthome City, and I bumped into my Dad who said she wanted to see me. I went to Snowpoint to see her, and she told me she'd been trying to get in touch with me for years but Dad was blocking her." He shook his head a little as he spoke, spitting out the words by the time he reached the end of the sentence. "I don't know. It all seems so juvenile. But she actually seems cool, and she came to watch the festival, and wants to go out for dinner tonight." May watched him carefully, a deep set frown working its way through her forehead, and he rolled his head towards her, a little lost. "You look upset."

"I just… I don't want to see it go wrong" she warned gently, pushing some hair back from his face. "But if you feel good about it, then I'm really happy for you. Really. I want that for you."

"Stop being sentimental, Maple" Drew taunted, nudging her. "It's really fine; you haven't told me about the glasses."

"Oh!" She blushed suddenly, very self-conscious. "I hate them. Don't you? I went to Hoenn after I did the Wallace Cup in Johto, with Dawn, and every Christmas Mom and Dad make me and Max do the whole health check-up thing, dentists, all that. Well, this year because I missed Christmas, they made me do an eye test as well, for good measure. And then it turns out I have this thing with the shape of one of my eyes, Max has it too but his is much worse. I can't remember what it's called. It starts with an a, and I said it about fifty times so the muscle memory of my mouth would pick it up, but it hasn't wholly stuck. It sounds something like an a-stick-matt-ism."

"An astigmatism" Drew filled in helpfully. May nodded, a little flushed.

"That. I have that. Anyway, it's in my right eye and it's very mild. I don't need to wear them all the time, but I'm still getting used to them for now. I might get contacts, I really don't like wearing them." She scrunched her face up, poking them up her nose a little further, clearly bothered by them.

"They suit your face. It's pretty" he replied briskly, leaning further back. May's blush brightened, and she smiled again. "Don't look at me like that."

"You're being cute" May accused, her words a little garbled with giggles. "I never thought you'd ever be cute, but here you are. Being cute."

"That's libellous, and I can sue" Drew threatened half-heartedly. She was playing with his fingers again, nervous. "What?"

"I have something for you" she told him, gently. "From Kalos." She swung herself upright, standing briskly and breathing deeply. Her suitcase was somewhere in the corner of the room, and she rooted through it quietly. Drew sat up, watching her with his legs crossed as she fumbled through clothes and toiletry bottles, until she dug out a small box, wrapped in shimmery lilac paper, with a neat, well tied pink ribbon that had gotten a little squashed in the bag. "It's all in the presentation" she told him sarcastically, returning to sit opposite him, folding her legs underneath herself as she perched next to him, face to face.

"Why did you get me this?" He asked, taking it from her apprehensively.

"Because I promised, in Blackthorn" she murmured quietly, bringing her knees up over her face to hide her mouth. "You know. I actually said something like 'I'm going to champion your birthday so hard', or something dumb like that. So I was going to, but you're going out to dinner with your Mom, which is totally way better. But you have to take this." She reached across to take his hand again, and she placed it gingerly on top of the present, just in the right place so he could untie the ribbon. "Go on." He paused, looking at her in a mild, blissful disbelief, but did as he was told, untying the squashed ribbon carefully and pulling it loose, leaving it neatly to the side. The lilac tissue paper was hard not to rip, but he wanted to attempt preserving it until May lost her temper and hold him if he didn't tear it she would.

The box inside was navy, and pristine. He carefully lifted the lid, and found a small stone not unlike May's earring, and another stone that gave off a dull grey glow, attached to a tough silver chain. Drew glanced at May, quieter than she'd anticipated, but she smiled, reaching forward with fumbling, shaking fingers, and lifted the first stone, the one with bright, shimmering colours.

"This is your keystone" she explained gently. "It has a fastener on the back, so you can attach it to your jacket like a little pin. Here." Her hands fidgeted with a scrap of the jacket that was over his chest, and as it fastened, he raised a hand to grab hers.

"May," he began, his voice low.

"And then the other stone, it's for your Absol" she explained, nervous to look him in the eye. "I didn't want to be able to do this and have an advantage over you, that's not how this works, I mean, I don't know how it works, but I just didn't want that…"

"May," he repeated, amused.

"And it was important to me that you had this" she carried on, a mixture of excited and anxious energy making her continue to babble, and her hand was still shaking where Drew was holding it to his chest, and _why wasn't he shaking too_? "I mean, I just, our battle last year, it only seems right that you have it, you know? Anyway it's stupid, and it's hardly personal. I wanted to get you something no one else would have thought of, but I bet anyone with the option would have gotten you that. It's stupid. I just wanted to say..." Drew smiled, a soft, genuine smile that made her pause and lose track of her thoughts and she blinked in a wide eyed, startled way that made him laugh. "Um, happy birthday, I guess."

* * *

There was very little in him that was paying attention to what his mother was saying, but it was nothing he felt like he needed to hear. She was just giving him express, firm instructions as to the Grand Festival, and the way in which he should behave and conduct himself as a returning champion, and how to make the most of the press attention he'd be receiving. Press always made him feel antsy, so he did his best to avoid them, but when he'd told her that, his mother had begun to chastise him on why the press would be important for cultivating a long standing career in coordinating. He'd zoned out pretty quickly and focused on his meal instead. The restaurant was nice. Classy, was the word he landed on. The ceilings were relatively high, and there were beautiful, long drapes flowing down the walls. The food was of a high quality as well, but he wasn't particularly hungry. He'd been in a bubble with May since sometime around lunch, and that meant kind of time with May meant her frequently wanting to snack, and forcing said snacks upon him. He tried to hide a smile behind his napkin, before looking back up at his mother and pretending to listen. Drew had realised a good half an hour ago his mother asking him to dinner that day had been coincidence, and she had no clue it was his birthday, or if she did, she hadn't mentioned it yet. It irked him a little that she didn't remember the day she gave birth to him, but he supposed it had been nineteen years of not having to remember it, so why would she remember it now? He'd deleted the text his dad sent every year, telling him happy birthday, and that he'd transferred some money into his account to get himself something if he wanted it.

"Where has this pin some from?" She asked eventually, reaching across and brushing it with her fingers. "It's pretty, but a little tawdry for your style, don't you think?"

"Oh, well, May gave it to me" Drew shrugged. "The girl who won the Wallace Cup? She turned up last night, she's here to watch the festival. She picked it up in Kalos. It helps with Mega Evolution, that thing that happened in our battle last year."

"Huh" his mother pursed her lips, withdrawing her hand. "What's your relationship with May? I thought you said she was your rival?"

"She is" Drew nodded, feeling his ears begin to warm a little. "We've been close for a long time."

"I see" she purred, leaning on her hands as she bent forwards towards him, smiling in a strange, cat like way. "I didn't know you had a girlfriend."

"She isn't my girlfriend" Drew grunted, uncomfortable. "I don't know, though. Things might head that way, with time. Now let's stop talking about this."

"It sounds like you're being sensible, relationships with rivals can be very sour" she blinked at him knowingly, keeping her smile in place. "I'm sure May is completely lovely. But there will be all the time for May once contests are over." Drew took a mouthful of his pasta, not wanting to respond to her just yet. She just kept smiling at him, cautiously, but confidently. Drew shrugged.

"I don't want to discuss May with you" he told her bluntly. She recoiled a little, but nodded, masking her confusion with a thin veil of understanding. There was a bit of an altercation at the door, which made his mother look over sharply, her eyes narrowing in on the entrance. But it was subdued, so instead she turned to the windows next to them, looking out to see if there was anything she could spot. "What is it?"

"Just wondering what all of the fuss is about" she murmured, clearly a little more than distracted. There was suddenly a bright, glaring flash that caught them off guard, and a few photographers were knelt outside the window, snapping their cameras eagerly at the pair. Drew frowned.

"What are they doing?" He grunted, visibly uncomfortable. "This has never happened before."

"You're a top coordinator, attending your first Grand Festival with that title, having dinner with your top coordinator mother" she replied smoothly, almost relaxing. "It was bound to happen eventually. Now remember what I was telling you earlier, and smile and give them a wave. It'll go a long way down the line, okay? Just look like you're having fun with your Mom."

* * *

 **Grand Festival: Opening Ceremonies**

* * *

The usual congregation for the entrance for the opening ceremony was crowded and stuffy, as it always was. Drew was just fastening the last cufflink to his shirt, not deeming it worthwhile to talk to anyone while he waited, watching the others interact with each other. Sinnoh contests involved a lot of dressing up, which he wasn't a huge fan of. It was alright for the women, they came out in gloriously pretty ball gowns and expertly styled hair, and looked like something that had swum from pages of an intricately illustrated fairy-tale. But the men, with their dumb, military-esque solder pads, and faux aristocratic get ups, looking like they longed to be part of a European period drama but with futuristic colour palettes… it all gave him a bit of an eye sore. He'd dressed quite low key for the contests up until now, keeping it to a black dress shirt and grey slacks, and he hadn't been criticised for his choices yet. So instead of grabbing a turquoise blazer, stuffed with foam in the shoulders, he had picked out a simple grey suit from a department store in Sunyshore, with his same black shirt, and didn't bother with a tie. The pin May gave him was concealed inside of his jacket, wanting to keep it with him, but not make it obvious to his opponents that he had this skill he could use against them. The cufflinks were from his mother, a good luck present for him before the ceremony. They were silver, and monogrammed, A.H., which gave him a little rush of warmth because no one had ever monogrammed something for him before, and it came from his estranged mother, and it all felt very lovely to have his mother around after all these years. It took a while, but he spotted Kenny among the crowds, and felt a little pang of guilt for their last conversation. Kenny recognised him, and waved awkwardly from the other side of the room. It didn't take long for them to meet in the middle.

"It's been a while" Kenny said, by means of greeting, and Drew nodded, suppressing a smirk.

"I'm surprised you made it" Drew commented dryly, flicking some hair behind his ear. Kenny gave him an incredulous, sarcastic grimace, and Drew smirked in response.

"Yeah, I'm here" Kenny replied coolly, shrugging. "Can't say I'm surprised to see you, though."

"Yeah, guess not." Drew pursed his lips a little. "I feel like I owe you an apology."

"For being brutally honest with me?" Kenny nearly laughed. "Nah, you don't. It gave me the kick I needed."

"Good, because I really didn't want to give you an apology." Kenny really did laugh this time, and they stood back together, watching the people around them flutter with excitement. "So did you impress that person in the end?"

"Well, she came to watch the festival, so we'll see" Kenny mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "But honestly, I've tried not to think about her. I've been focusing on my Pokémon a lot more, and what they want. And they really want to win."

"Sounds like a drastic improvement" Drew nodded, a little sagely, and Kenny gave him a sidelong look, suppressing a smile.

"Thanks." The doors began to creep open, so they knew it was nearly time to head in. "I love the feeling of the opening ceremony, you know?"

"Yeah, I guess" Drew shrugged. "I was never really that fond of them, myself. I skipped the one in Johto last year to train. I ended up regretting that a bit, that I missed the ceremony for the festival I won. But I still hate these things."

"Too much pomp, not enough circumstance?" Kenny grinned, and Drew barked a laugh.

"Yeah, something like that." The boys shared an amicable glance.

* * *

"I love nachos" May told her companions seriously, taking another of the maize flour chips and smothering it in molten cheese. Dawn and Max gave her uneasy looks. "No, really. I don't think there's anything in this world that I love like I love nachos."

"What about ramen?" Max pointed out dutifully. It left May to consider for a moment, weighing the two foods pros and cons closely in her head.

"Yep, you're right, ramen" May conceded. "So there are two things I love like that. That's okay. I have a lot of love to give."

"I'm sure Drew will be happy to hear it." Dawn pulled a kissy face, and May immediately dropped her happy mood, staring down her friend viciously. Max looked between the two girls for a moment, confused, before realisation dawned over him and he looked a little nauseated.

"Gross." His opinions were swallowed by the eruption of the audience. The stage doors were opening, and they all forgot the details of their conversation instantly, standing as a trio and cheering loudly.

"Which one is Kenny, Dawn?" May asked brightly, looping her arm through her friends. Dawn smiled, narrowing her eyes to try and make him out in the crowd, while May and Max scanned for Drew eagerly.

"There!" They all seemed to speak and point at exactly the same time at the same spot.

"Aw!" Dawn put her fingers to her mouth, giggling a little. "Kenny and Drew are talking and walking in together. Adorable. I want them to be best friends."

"Oh, so the brunette is Kenny, huh?" May squinted, trying to make him out. "Is he wearing sequins?"

"I wouldn't be entirely surprised" Dawn admitted, laughing nervously. "He's a big kid."

* * *

The only part of the opening ceremonies that Drew hated more than the ceremony themselves was the huge celebration afterwards. It felt pointless to him. It was advertised as a way to meet your rivals for the upcoming competition and blow off some steam before the festival began, but all that usually lead to was mass amounts of drinking by the less intelligent coordinators and the smarter ones scoping out competition mercilessly. Unless you were May, he'd noted multiple times. May was a separate breed, who came for the buffet and stayed only for the buffet. He spotted her quite quickly as Kenny shepherded him into the hall, standing suspiciously close to barbeque wings and trying really far too hard to look casual about it. Kenny broke off from him quickly, and Drew almost felt sorry for him as he noted the girl he was clearly so enamoured with was Dawn. He figured he should have put it together in his head sooner, but he reassured himself he didn't care enough about other people's lives to think it through much, which is why he hadn't puzzled it together.

"Ah, Drew!" A hand flew out of the crowd he was pushing through to get to the buffet, and grabbed his suit jacket sleeve, twisting him around. Marina's face blew up in his vision, her face a little too close to his. "Man, I have been looking for you everywhere, I couldn't find you in the opening ceremonies. Did you skip out again?"

"Not this year. I was right in the middle, hating every second dutifully" Drew ducked his head. She was clearly less than sober, and her grip on his jacket hadn't loosened yet. Her dress was pretty, but it was starting to ride up, and she hadn't even noticed.

"You're funny" she told him firmly, looping her arm through his. "I need you to stick with me, there are some grabby assholes here tonight. Twice now, I've had someone touch my ass. I'm not sure what I want it to be, if it's the same person twice they're persistent, but if it's two different people they're everywhere."

"What a dilemma." Drew nodded, not all that interested. "Look, I need to find someone, so I need to…"

"Oh, is it May? I thought I saw her drifting around here - I'm glad she's here. She needs to see me win!" Marina stumbled a little as she spoke, and with a groan, Drew reluctantly propped her up.

"Let's get you a glass of water" he said, reluctant and tired, and Marina burst into laughter like it was the funniest thing she'd ever heard.

"You're a total comedian tonight, Drew, we should hang out more, we never hang out!" Marina continued to babble as he half carried her to the bar, "Do you ever do that? Just… hang out?"

"It depends on the definition, I suppose." He was craning his neck back, trying to spot if May was anywhere to be seen, but she had left her guard post at the barbeque wings, so she could have been anywhere by then. Marina's feet were starting to drag, but Drew balanced her neatly on a bar stool.

"I used to hang out" Marina told him, miserably. "I used to be fun. Now I just train all the time. I don't remember the last time I spoke to Jimmy. Do you think I should talk to him?" Her voice was slurring a little more, and Drew sighed, desperately wondering how she could have deteriorated so quickly.

"Follow your dreams, sunshine" he muttered dryly, signalling to the bartender to bring her some water. "I really couldn't care. Do you know anyone else here?"

"I have lots of friends" she muttered defensively, resting her head on the bar. "I do. They just live far far away."

"Alright. Well. After you drink this water I'll take you to your room. And then you can go to sleep and I can stop having to deal with you." A pint glass was placed in front of her, and she gulped it down noisily, spilling a little on her skirt as she did, pausing to take big gulps of air. She began to shake her head, standing shakily, before wringing her hands to center herself.

"No. No I've embarrassed myself enough" she mumbled, pressing her face into the crook of her elbow for a moment. "I'm fine. I can get myself to my room. Go find May."

"Are you sure?" Drew wasn't a particular fan of Marina, but she was clearly feeling vulnerable, and she had said herself she'd bad a few unwelcome encounters already that evening. "I can walk you back."

"I don't need you to pity me" she coughed nervously, steadying herself. "But thanks, I appreciate the effort, considering you're like in love with my rival and stuff. It's kind of you."

"Don't spread it around" Drew grunted, looking away for a second. "Really. People will start thinking I would be okay with them talking to me."

"You really are funny, Drew" Marina smiled, choking on a laugh. "It's a shame you think you have to pretend you're cool."

"We aren't having a moment, Marina. Go to bed." He stayed by the bar, watching her cautiously sway away, and felt a little better when he saw her push through the doors. They were only next door to the dorm rooms, and there were lots of security around, and in general, she was the kind of person who could take care of herself. Confident she was on her way, he returned to searching for May, still sure the buffet was his safest bet, even if she'd moved on from the wings.

* * *

May had been surprised when Dawn had grabbed her and Max, and forced them to dance in a group with her and Kenny. She seemed a little on edge, and it left May to wonder. Still, she didn't question it, and allowed Max to spin her comically. She was still just a little taller than him, but he was catching up. It was light-hearted and easy and fun, and she'd always loved dancing. It was a song she recognised, which meant her dancing could consist of singing along actively, while moving from one foot to another and gesturing with her arms as she did, a nice, safe kind of dancing that no one would pick out as weird or clumsy. Dawn was basically pulling out moves better known on Broadway, completely nonchalant and confident, and Max and Kenny each shuffled uncomfortably, not sure how to dance in a crowd like this. The music was too loud for conversation, but Kenny seemed nice, and exactly as she'd pictured a childhood friend of Dawn's to potentially look; safe, with kind eyes, and a bit of a small town boy. He had that vibe.

Over the corner of some of the dancing crowd, she spotted Drew half carrying a stumbling Marina to the bar, and felt a little unsure. She knew nothing was actually going on, per say, but there was a little mistrust in Marina from her previous trickery of May the year before, and the way she was looped around Drew's arm didn't sit right with her. Dawn noticed she'd stopped dancing, and followed her eyes. They shared a quiet, understanding glance, and Dawn immediately grabbed May's shoulders to pull her closer, trying to distract her from any insecure thoughts by dancing more intensely with her. May couldn't really get into it though, her head felt too heavy, so she pulled away from the three, waving awkwardly and headed back to the buffet, a little baffled. There was a dessert section she hadn't even thought about yet, and it required her immediate attention. She was just taking a rather thick wedge of a cheesecake when she found herself bumping into someone to her left.

"Excuse me," she apologised, flushing with embarrassment. "Sorry!"

"It's alright" he replied lightly, laughing. "You looked pretty engrossed in that cheesecake."

"It's pretty intense, I won't lie" May chuckled back, ducking away a little. "Hey, I recognise you. Didn't I beat you in the Wallace Cup?"

"First you knock into me next to dairy products, and now you're throwing a past loss in my face" he put his hand over his heart, mocking pain. "Yes, yes you did. The name is Brendan Birch."

"Ah, it's nice to meet you again!" May beamed at him. "Is Birch any relation to Professor Birch, in Littleroot?"

"Yeah, I'm his son" Brendan confirmed, shrugging a little. "He's cool. He sent me off with Pokedex to do field work, and then didn't care when I started doing contests on the side. Eventually I wound up here."

"That's so cool! My dad is a good friend of the Professor. He actually gave me my first Pokémon, and a Pokedex of my own!" May explained brightly, flushed in the cheeks. "My Dad is Norman, of…"

"Petalburg gym" Brendan finished, smiling. "You're May Maple. I didn't forget you from the contest."

"R-Right!" May laughed again, a little uneasy. "Well yeah, it's nice to meet a local!"

"May?" Drew's voice interrupted them, and she turned quickly, beaming at the sight of him.

"Drew! Come meet Brendan!" Her insistence was impossible to refuse, and she grabbed his arm and tugged him forward. "He competed against me in the Wallace Cup, and his Dad is good friends with my Dad!"

"Ah, well it's nice to meet you" Drew said politely, not sure why May was gripping his arm so tightly. "I'm Drew."

"You won the Johto Grand Festival last year, didn't you" Brendan commented, before giving a low whistle. "Man, that was a good fight between you two. Hard to believe you're so close after how intense that battle was."

"We're pretty close" Drew confirmed dryly. "Sorry, May, can I borrow you?"

"Sure" May almost squeaked. The last time they'd been on their own was in her room on his birthday, and the thought of it still made her stomach drop. "I'll see you in a bit, Brendan! Good luck!" She gave him a polite wave as the pair walked away. Drew seemed to be aiming for the exit, but they ended up at a window just to the side, hovering where the air was a little cooler.

"You seemed concerned" he raised an eyebrow, and May blinked, confused.

"Did I?" Something about her voice was a little distant.

"I think you've left bruises on my arm" Drew pointed out gruffly, and she flushed, looking down.

"I'm sorry. It was nothing. I feel awkward. It's fine." May was a little dithering, and Drew found it mostly irritating. But he didn't make a big fuss over it, and instead, just leant back against the window and enjoyed the cold glass on the back of his head.

"Why do you feel awkward?" He asked lightly, not making eye contact. May shifted from one foot to the other, pointedly not leaning next to him.

"I don't know. Sorry. This is weird." She was suddenly laughing, and he shook his head, resisting the urge to laugh at her floundering uncomfortably. As much as she may have changed, she was still the same bumbling mess he was so fond of, and the thought of it put him weirdly at ease. "How are you feeling about the festival?"

"Fine" Drew replied honestly. "Really, it's been kind of a dud season. The only person my eye is on is Marina, although I battled this guy Kenny a while back, I think he's Dawn's friend. He had some potential."

"I think you should watch out for Brendan as well" May told him firmly. "I battled him at the Wallace Cup in the finals, he beat Dawn, but I managed to slip around him. He's not an easy match."

"Alright, thanks for the heads up, I haven't come across him yet, so it's good to be aware" he nodded along calmly, pushing his back off the wall to face her. She paused, finally looking him in the eye. "You don't have to feel awkward." May hesitated, and looked like she was thinking hard about how she wanted to respond. He wondered what was going through her mind. Things had been fine, sat in her room, talking about Kalos and her glasses and his mother. He supposed she had clocked his discomfort in the lobby from too many people around her, and maybe now she was starting to feel the same pressure. She'd been mostly protected from the speculation and attention surrounding their battle last year, hidden away in a region without contests, but now the two of them stood talking to each other garnered a little bit of attention from their peers. A lot of the coordinators kept not-subtly glancing their way, and as much as Drew had begun to get used to the heat from it all, it still irked him. But it was all quite new to May, and Brendan's words about their battle had surprised her. "Is it the attention, from everyone?" May frowned.

"Partly" she admitted, knotting her fingers together. "There are a few things on my mind, I guess. I feel a bit guilty, in some ways. I was talking to Dawn about it a while ago and she made me feel like an idiot for it, which I suppose is what I would have done too in her shoes… And I actually had this really weird moment that I've kinda wanted to talk to you about but I don't really know how to start."

"Why do you feel guilty?" Drew faced her properly, turning his body towards her as she gained his full attention. "And what happened?" May breathed in, about to speak, ready to talk about his father and their strange conversation in the coffee shop.

"Drew, there you are!" A spindly hand caught his shoulder, and because he'd been so focused on May it caught him off guard, making him jump. He turned quickly, to see his mother with her silvery blonde hair and a painted on smile, slipping her way into the conversation. "I've been looking for you since the ceremony. The bar staff said they saw you with some drunk girl, so I had no idea what to think!" May arched an eyebrow, and Drew wrinkled his nose at the memory.

"Marina" he clarified quickly. May stifled a laugh. "She was wasted, so I made her get some water and she went back to her room."

"I shouldn't be surprised, she's a character alright!" May giggled.

"May, this is my mother. Mom, this is May" Drew introduced, feeling awkward, the back of his neck heating up. It felt strange introducing his mother to her like this. Or at all, really.

"Ah, call me Karen" his mother waved him off in a fidgety way. "Hello May. I watched your Wallace Cup appeal with Drew, a few months back. Your Altaria is superbly raised."

"Thank you, that means a lot!" May replied politely, bowing her head a little. "She's a new partner of mine, but we've been working hard!"

"Well, coordinating is a lot more than hard work, now isn't it?" Karen replied, quite sweetly. May waited for her to finish with something else, but she didn't, and it made her feel a little bit like she was being subtly insulted. Drew didn't seem to pick up on it though, and he always championed her when others criticised her in the past, or at least made sure she was on the same page as any constructive criticism, so she let it pass, thinking she'd gotten the wrong impression. "Have I interrupted something?" May bit her lip, not wanting to admit that _maybe, yes, you kinda did_ , but Drew spoke first.

"Nah, its fine." At the least, he offered May an apologetic glance.

"Oh good! You know May, while Drew and I were watching the Wallace Cup, he told me all about the progress you'd made after a difficult start with coordinating" Karen continued, her fingers still latched on her son's shoulder. "Is that something you've struggled with? I remember when I was doing the circuit, coordinators who were popular who didn't do so well were slandered by the media."

"Oh, well, um… not really!" May wasn't sure how to respond. "I guess I got a lot of attention early on because my dad is Petalburg Gym Leader, but it was always pretty supportive, bar a few criticisms online. That's how I got the nickname Princess of Petalburg, after my hometown was so vocal in supporting me! Although I still think that's just because my Mom basically marched up and down the streets putting posters of my face up everywhere whenever I got to a grand festival."

"That sounds like her" Drew laughed openly, and his mother's grip tightened slightly. "I didn't know she did that."

"We clearly haven't been in Petalburg at the same time" May rolled her eyes good naturedly, smiling. "She's a funny one."

"So you spent some time in Kalos, right?" Karen didn't seem to enjoy hearing about May's mother, or any familiarity Drew might have with her antics. May paused, a little irked. "What made you choose to go so far away?"

"Oh, there are some experts in mega evolution over there" May replied hastily. "And I just wanted to go somewhere new and completely different, where I didn't know anyone, or anything. Just a fresh experience, you know?"

"I don't know" Karen replied obliviously, blinking a little. "Frankly why a coordinator would go anywhere beyond a contest circuit during a season is beyond me. The best way to improve in contests is to attend them." May began to chew the inside of her cheek. "But I'm sure you had fun."

"Thank you" May replied blandly, clasping her hands together behind her back.

"Drew, there were a few reporters outside that wanted to speak to you," Karen turned to him, twisting him towards her with her still clutched hand. "I think it would do you good to be on top of your media presence a little more. You're one of the favourites to win, after all, and remember what we talked about with your career beyond coordinating? It would do good to put those silly rumours to rest."

"Silly rumours?" May began to feel dizzy. "What rumours…?"

"Rumours… about, you know, us" Drew clarified, not meeting her eyes. "Ever since Johto…"

"Right. Well of course, it just wouldn't do to have the media think anything was going on between us. We're just rivals, after all. I mean, barely even that considering I was in Kalos all season, out of the circuit. Right? By now I'm probably nothing to you at all." May was aware it was a bit of a petty remark, but she could barely believe what she was hearing. "By all means, don't let me keep you. I'm going to go track down Dawn and Max, and make sure he's not being too much of an annoyance to her. Excuse me."

"May, wait..." Drew tried to stop her, but not hard enough. She pushed past him, her lower lip trembling visibly. Karen kept him close though, and they watched her stumble away together, her hands suspiciously close to her face. "Well, that went badly."

"Drew, perhaps it's best" Karen assured, her voice low and reassuring. "Nothing can happen until you retire, really. It'll just push you away from coordinating."

"You sound like Dad." Drew tugged his shoulder away from her, straining his neck to try and spot her. "Why did you talk to her like that? I literally just told her the other day that you were a good person to have around, and her opinion means a lot to me."

"Why?" Karen pressed, forcing him to hold her eye contact. "Why does her opinion mean anything at all to you?"

"That's not something I need to justify to you. You can't sweep into my life after twenty years and tell me who I should and shouldn't associate with." Drew gave her a long, hard look, like he was trying to figure her out. But Karen's small, unfazed smile kept throwing him.

"I'm talking from experience" she reminded him quietly, reaching across and tucking some hair behind his ear in a fond, motherly touch he hadn't expected from her. He ended up swallowing hard, not wanting to admit it was a nice feeling, to have his mother fuss. "I don't want either you, or May, to end up like myself or your father. Look how it's ended up with us now, we can't speak, and he kept me from you. If we'd waited until we'd retired… maybe things would have been different, and I regret that."

* * *

Dawn was surprised when she noticed May had left. She, Kenny and Max were taking a break from the most awkward dancing she'd ever encountered, stopping for a drink to rehydrate a little, when she realised that the brunette was nowhere to be seen. Max was a little worried, wondering if she'd gone somewhere with Drew, but they spotted him by a window talking to a blonde woman none of them recognised. Dawn clocked her as the mother he mentioned collecting the other day, and her lips narrowed as she pressed them together tightly. Their body language didn't sit well with her, and neither did the expression on Drew's face. It was too closed off, and hard to read. As much as Drew was private, she'd never really struggled to read him before.

"Let's go to the Pokémon Center" she suggested gently to Max and Kenny. They gave her a surprised look. "I don't know. I have a bad feeling that May might be a bit upset."

It didn't take them long to track her down. She hadn't left that long before they noticed her absence, and when they reached the dorm rooms of the Pokémon Center, they found her struggling to work the key in the door and trying to stifle a sob in her free hand, her eyes occasionally screwing shut.

"May?" Max ran forward first, grabbing her shoulders and turning her towards him. "May what happened?"

"I can't see, these stupid glasses are all fogged up" she burbled, speaking between sobs, as she tugged herself away from him and nervously began to rub them clean on the hem of her dress. "Stupid. They're so stupid. How have you put up with them all these years?"

"You'll get used to it" Max assured her gently, taking her key and slipping it in the lock, shoving the door open. May nodded, a little watery still, sniffing loudly.

"May, honey, what happened?" Dawn followed them in, completely comfortable to push herself forwards to May, while Kenny felt awkward and hovered in the doorway. He hadn't really spoken to May before. Dawn was knelt in front of her while Max sat to her side, unsure whether he should hold her hand or not. May shook her head, clearly not wanting to talk about it, but she discarded her glasses to the side and began to weep a little more openly now she was in her room. She had never been one to shy away from crying in front of her friends. Dawn hesitated, not sure whether or not to press, but she hardened herself. "May, what happened with Drew and his Mom?" Kenny's face dropped, immediately more uncomfortable.

"Oh no, no it's fine!" May lied unconvincingly, before succumbing to a fresh round of sobs. "I was wrong, I guess, about things working out with us though. I guess things are different. We're just… different, now."

"I really doubt that" Dawn assured her gently, wiping her face softly with her thumb. May hiccupped loudly. "He's so whipped. He's so, so, so whipped."

"Dawn has a point," Max chimed, not sure how comfortable he was talking to May about her love life. "When I was travelling with Drew half a year ago, he was so touchy about talking about you. It was really obvious he missed you a lot."

"I shouldn't have left" May shook her head, rubbing her eyes furiously. Black smears began to streak across her face. "I should have been here when he found out more about his mom, and I shouldn't have just disappeared right after we figured out where we stood. It was selfish of me."

"Yeah, okay, I agree with you." Max stood up as he spoke, getting frustrated. "I think it was really mean to disappear after he finally said something, because we all know he's a massive weenie, and it literally took him half of his life to do anything about it, but you know who doesn't agree with you that it was selfish?" May looked at him, shivering a little. "Drew. He kept saying how much he respected why you were doing it and how he would give you all the space you needed and he refused to agree you were being selfish."

"He did?" May sniffed again, louder than she anticipated.

"Yeah." She'd never seen Max so firm. "Whatever loser thing he did that's making you cry is probably just him being a loser, as usual. But he really cares about you so stop being so whiney about it and fix it already." His eyes narrowed at her a bit, and May was completely taken back. "Drew is a nice person and he deserves more than you having a crying fit, and giving up on all of this after he waited on you for a whole year."

"He basically told me that there's nothing happening between us Max." May felt her voice get a little louder than she wanted. "He stood there and let his mother insult me, and then told me he was off to tell all the reporters all the rumours about us aren't true."

"And that was awful of him, May" Dawn agreed, hoping her validation would begin to calm her down. "And Max is wrong, by the way, about what you did last year being selfish. You needed to go and get a fresh perspective on your coordinating, and define your own style rather than anything else. We both know you needed that in order to be the best coordinator you could be, and Drew wouldn't have feelings for you if you weren't the kind of person who would do that."

"Wait, that's why you left?" Kenny blinked, something slotting into place for him. "Sorry, I know this is none of my business, and I'm just piecing bits of info together so I'm probably way off the mark here, but… when I first met Drew, he was furious with me for not respecting my Pokémon enough and coordinating for… something other than myself, and what my Pokémon wanted, and told me that I should be focusing on what I wanted as a career in coordinating rather than for reasons outside of that. I really doubt Drew would see what you did in any way other than with total respect, even if it upset him."

"He did, huh?" May gave a weak, flimsy smile. "That sounds like him. Oh Arceus I can't believe this is so messed up."

"It doesn't have to be" Dawn soothed, giving her a big smile. "It needs some work, and some communication, but it's not messed up. It was never going to be easy, falling back into place with each other. But you'll get there."

"His mother, though" May persisted, and Dawn frowned.

"Yeah, I'm worried about that too" she admitted, bringing herself upright and standing. "You said his dad asked you to watch out for her?"

"Apparently she can be this really manipulative, toxic person" May explained meekly, not sure she totally understood herself. "She lied to Drew, saying his dad stopped her from seeing him up until now, so now Drew won't listen to his father. And he won't talk about it properly, because he's Drew Hayden and talking about his own emotions is completely impossible, but he's clearly so happy that his Mom is around that he doesn't even notice how she is." She was crying noisily again, and Dawn paused to envelope her friend in a tight hug, hoping to smother some of the horrible gut sinking sadness that seemed to be enveloping her. "He was always so good at picking me up and helping me sort out my problems. But I haven't been here when all of this happened, so I haven't been able to help him, so no wonder he's changed his mind."

"I really, really doubt he's changed his mind" Dawn nearly laughed. "He was always so obviously smitten with you whenever we talked about you May. And Drew strikes me as the stubborn type, I really doubt he'd change his mind about you, or let anyone else try and change it for him. Remember what we said, about him giving you space, so you need to give him that same space? That's all you need to do."

"No, he needs perspective, he needs to see what's happening with this Karen woman" May replied harshly, her emotions getting a little overwhelming. But she swallowed hard, trying not to cry again. "And he won't take it from me. But there is someone he _will_ listen to."

* * *

 **The Grand Festival: The First Round**

* * *

The Sinnoh Grand Festival was different to the Festivals May had performed in previously, and so she was a little bewildered sitting with Dawn and looking down at the stage with three big blocks of colour, and the announcer talking about the Doubles Performance Rule. Max was out training, saying that morning that he only really cared about the battles, and he knew Drew would get through fine. No one else really concerned him.

"You've done doubles appeals and doubles battles before, right?" Dawn smiled as she explained the system to her. "Well, in the Sinnoh Grand Festival, every single appeal and battle is doubles. The appeals round is done on three stages due to the amount of contestants, and it all happens at the same time, which is what those big squares are. The red stage is judged by Fantina, and the Nurse Joy for Jubilife City, and then Mr Sukizo and Nurse Joy from here in Lake Valor are on the green stage, and finally the blue stage is Mr Contesta and a Nurse Joy from Hoenn. Last year it was the Nurse Joy from Lilycove, but this year it's the Joy from Slateport. All of the stages can be modified, in case anyone wants a pool for a water appeal, or if they want a raised platform for whatever reason. But only the top thirty two get through to the second round."

"Only thirty two?" May gave a low whistle. "Brutal, for just the one appeal."

"It's all or nothing!" Dawn agreed, her eyes twinkling. "The appeals have to be perfect. Kenny didn't make the cut last year, which is why I think he decided to keep in Sinnoh again this year."

"That makes sense" she hummed. "So then the battle rounds…?"

"All doubles battles, and all matched completely randomly. None of that seeding you had in Johto!" Dawn giggled a little. "It's not easy."

"Well, no Grand Festival is" May murmured, frowning. She knew Drew had never had a problem with appeals before, so she wasn't worried. But the thought of how cutthroat the appeals rounds were, and if anything went wrong unexpectedly, that would mean there would be no second round to give him a second chance. Her hands tightened in her lap.

Marina was the first person out that May recognised. She was on the red stage. Three big screens were visible for everyone in the audience, for those whose views were partially blocked, or badly angled for an appeal. The camera had panned in on her beaming, confident face, though she seemed a little tired, and then it focused in on Fantina's face who looked a little intrigued at this previous Grand Festival winner.

"Little Miss! Pink! Let's give it our all!"

Her jigglypuff and misdreavus performed together beautifully. Pink the jigglypuff was sending powerful gyroball attacks, which were colliding with Little Miss the misdreavus's shadow balls, creating exciting sparkles of power that attracted the attention of the other stages as well as her own. Little Miss then sent down a dark pulse, captured by a surprisingly powerful psychic attack by Pink, twisting it into shimmering lilac shapes and patterns around the stage, creating loud noises of excitement and awe among the audience, and even the judges. Fantina was enamoured with the beauty of the ghost type Pokémon, and the Nurse Joy by her side smitten with the sweet, but surprising power of Pink. Marina got high marks, and she ran away looking satisfied, and even a little relieved. May frowned, baffled.

Drew came on shortly after, onto the green stage, and it looked like he shared a nod with the Lake Valor Nurse Joy. May would have made some sarcastic comment about how typical it was if it weren't for how suddenly sad she felt. Dawn had her hand linked with hers, sweetly ignoring the topic and "hey isn't that blue stage interesting right now". But May didn't look, too busy staring at his Houndoom and Flygon creating a huge, fiery display, complete with dual flamethrowers, powerful dragon breaths and chilling dark pulses, creating shimmering pillars of light, and strength, and the unmistakable burning of brimstone. The audience were enthralled, and May had a little smile at the sight of that familiar air punch he pulled when he knew something had gone his way. Dawn's grip on her hand tightened, and May swallowed a lump in her throat.

Brendan came up a half hour later or so. His Raichu and Claydol were an interesting combination, and May wasn't sure how well they would cooperate, but as Raichu's thunder collided with Claydol's ancient power, breaking off into shimmering, fantastic bundles of light and energy, she understood a little more. It was the kind of appeal only a coordinator who knew his Pokémon well could produce, and May was glad she had warned Drew of it before everything had gone sour.

When Kenny came out, Dawn grabbed May's hand tightly again, but for all new reasons.

"This will mean so much to him," she murmured by way of explanation. May nodded dumbly, feeling her nerves. "I just hope he does okay."

"I'm sure he'll do great, and if he doesn't, he has you here to help pick him back up!" May told her brightly, and Dawn's face faltered a little.

"That's kinda what I'm worried about" she admitted softly.

He used his Empoleon and his Floatzel, which made Dawn look like she was about to pass out from sheer irritation. ("Don't you learn from your mistakes, you total asshat?!") He's on the red stage, which Dawn tells May is the same as last time, and starts with Floatzel using Aqua Jet to shoot straight up into the air, with Empoleon shooting Hydro Cannon after Hydro Cannon at the trail left behind him, creating a powerful, gushing waterfall. Floatzel then fired off a razor wind, dispersing flying discs around him that shimmer in the light, which Empoleon shattered with a metal claw, leaving a mist to surround them, flowing in subdued, warm colours. Dawn mumbled something like "here we go", and suddenly Floatzel was holding up a huge whirlpool to Empoleon sideways, and Empoleon was charging up a flash cannon that blasted straight into the center of it, breaking up the whirlpool into little drops that caught the light and refracted it into pretty rainbows. Both Floatzel and Empoleon stood strong, and Kenny was elated. Dawn let out a long, relieved breath, and loosened her death grip on May's hand.

"You and Kenny… what's the deal there, Dawn?" May asked quietly, pursuing her lips. Dawn looked flustered for a second, until she let out a long, sad breath.

"Oh, Kenny and I have been friends since we were small" Dawn explained lightly. "I've known for about a year now that he has some feelings for me, after he tried to convince me to travel with him by beating Ash in a Pokémon Battle."

"Wait… that's kinda alpha and dumb, right?" May screwed up her face, and Dawn laughed a little, nodding.

"A huge pissing contest. So lame" Dawn agreed, before sighing again. "But he's a good guy, you know? He was insecure about me and Ash travelling together I think. But anyway, I don't return his feelings, and it gets a little awkward. I came to support him because I know how much it would mean to him, and I'd like to clear the air between us. But I need to clarify that he needs to move on, because I'm starting to think he's holding on for me, and I can't let him do that."

"I'm sorry" May mumbled, fumbling with her hands. "It must be hard, rejecting an old friend like that."

"It's harder for him than it is me." Dawn shrugged, stretching her back out a little. "No need to worry, I got it covered!"

"That's when I should be worrying the most, right?" May gave her a sly smile, and Dawn jabbed her in the ribs. "What? Ash isn't here, someone has to finish your silly catchphrase." Dawn gave her a stern look, and they turned back to watch the rest of the appeals. They trickled by seamlessly, one or two catching their attention but not as well as the others had, although they admitted some personal bias.

* * *

The appeals were finished, and Drew had planned to head straight through the lobby and to the Pokémon Center, where he could wait and hopefully catch May to speak with her. He'd drafted and deleted what felt like thousands of messages to her, all with varying responses, some supporting his mother and some dismissing them and grovelling for her forgiveness. His pride hadn't let him send any of them, and he was a little confused as to what he should be saying, at any rate. But before he could get to the lobby, he had been suddenly hounded by reporters, as many of the popular competitors had been already that day, and there had been a part of him that had slightly expected it.

"Drew Hayden, any comments on how it feels to reach the second round?" The one who asked had gotten a little close to his face, so he put his hand up to shield himself slightly. Thinking of his mother, he tried to respond.

"It feels good. There was a lot of good competition so it's an honour to be in the top thirty two" he replied blandly, feeling a little sick as he pandered to their questions.

"Are you gunning for that ribbon cup again?" Another was just as insistent. "Anyone you've got your eye on as competition?"

"I know Marina is always a good fight, and Kenny's appeal today I really enjoyed, so I look forward to what he comes up with in the next few rounds" Drew stated numbly. "And there's one or two others that got my interest, so we'll see."

"Drew, do you think anyone here is up to giving you a match like May Maple did last year in Johto? And any comment on your relationship and the fact she's been spotted in the audience?" This was the question he'd been dreading, leaving knots in his stomach as he wasn't sure how to reply just yet, but he swallowed hard and thought about how awful it had been watching her walk away the other night.

"Please don't put my son on the spot like this!" Karen swam over, wrapping a protective arm around him that caught him completely off guard. "He's had a long day competing and will want to rest up before the battle rounds begin! Oh honey, I'm so very proud of you!" Her gushing and affectionate touches were completely foreign to the picture of his mother that he'd built in his head, but offered her an uneasy smile to try and mask it in front of the reporters. "Excuse us everyone, but I need to take my son out for some celebrating!" The reporter continued to hurl questions at them, mostly now aimed at Karen, but she dismissed them with a flicker of her fingers and a big smile that seemed weird on her face, in Drew's opinion. She had always seemed so like him, in their conversations, but something about the way she had spoken to May at the Opening Ceremonies and the way she handled reporters had begun to sit badly with him.

* * *

 **The Grand Festival: The Second Round**

* * *

Drew won his first match with grace and ease. Roserade and Masquerain always made a brilliant doubles team, and his opponent had little room to get around him when he got into the flow of things, although he did drop a few points early on, which made May think he might have been a little distracted. She hadn't heard from him since the ceremonies, which unnerved her in a big way, and she was starting to wonder if she should just leave and head north with Max for the Pokémon League. But Max was enthralled by Drew's battling, and was beginning to idolise him in a way that made May's heart ache, so when he asked her if they should go backstage to congratulate him, she couldn't help but agree and allowed him to pull her along. Every step made her chest feel tighter, and there was an unsettling nausea that consumed her, making her feel weak in the knees and anxious. The lobby was empty, as they were about to gear up for the next battle already, and the walkway to the backstage rooms seemed clear, but as they set off walking they were interrupted by a painfully familiar tone.

"May," Karen observed, stood a little way behind them. "I suppose you also intend on going to congratulate Drew."

"I suppose" May mumbled. "This is my little brother, Max. He and Drew spent some time together this season, so he wants to congratulate him, and I guess I got dragged along."

"I see." Karen spared Max a look. "Well Max, it's a pleasure. I'm Karen, Drew's mother."

"It's nice to meet you" Max replied politely. May felt a little swell of pride in her chest; Max was well aware of what she was like, and yet chose to be polite and civil, which is something in his younger days he would not have bothered to do.

"I hope everything is alright, May" Karen continued, ignoring him completely now. "You seemed… upset, when I saw you last."

"Oh I'm just dandy" May chirped, waving her off. "Nothing that you should ever concern yourself with."

"Well, this is the thing." Karen folded her arms over, and gave a slight smirk that May could have sworn she'd seen Drew give to Harley before, and it made her shiver. "I don't think you should concern yourself with it either. I think my son made himself very clear last we spoke. And I don't think you chasing him down backstage will fix anything, no matter how much you feel you need his media attention to push forward your own career."

"...Excuse me?" May's jaw nearly hit the floor. "I have never looked to Drew for media attention. Firstly, he's a big, awkward dweeb, and he hates media attention. It literally makes his skin crawl. Secondly, my brother was very polite to you, and you have proceeded to ignore his presence since greeting him, and I find that incredibly obnoxious." Stepping forward a little, she looked Karen square in the eye. "I don't know why you've pushed back into Drew's life. I don't know why you lied about getting in touch in the past. I don't know why you're so insistent to push me away from him. But I would never, ever use him. And I will never, ever tolerate someone being rude to Max."

"May, its fine" Max tried to pull her back, but she gave him a stern look, and he silenced.

"You see the thing is," May shrugged, giving Karen a big smile. "I really care about my family, and my friends. So I'll stand up for them, and I won't treat them selfishly."

"But isn't that exactly what you did?" Karen returned mockingly, entirely nonplussed. "You ran away. You deserted him, and you did it for your own selfish gain. And you expect to be able to waltz back, and have him greet you with open arms for some big, romantic reunion. Honestly, May, that is selfish, and that is obnoxious, and my son deserves a lot better than you." May paused, swallowing. There was nothing Karen had said that hadn't felt entirely accurate to May, and they both knew that.

"You know what?" May nearly laughed, grabbing Max's sleeve. "You win. Whatever. I won't go see him right now, if that's what you're trying to achieve. But this won't ever be over, because I know Drew, and I know him really, really well. And he's really smart, and he has a good read on people, and you may have him fooled right now, because you're his Mom and he's always wanted that, but it won't last. And he'll wake up to the kind of person you are, and he'll come and find me. And that will be that." May turned on her heel and stormed away, with Max followed after her nervously, glancing back at the silenced Karen, who for the first time, actually seemed bothered by what May had said.

* * *

"It was awful" May mumbled into the video phone. Solidad had a deep crease in her forehead as she listened, looking a little windswept and worse for wear. "I didn't even get to see him. She just… dismantled me and sent me back."

"This all sounds completely ridiculous" Solidad grunted, running her fingers through her own hair firmly. "Drew is smarter than this."

"Drew is completely oblivious, because it's his mother" May countered quickly, readjusting her glasses in the hope the glare would distract from the redness in her eyes. "I'm lost. I don't know how to go from here."

"Well, May, you don't have to do anything" Solidad assured her, a slight smile pushing through. "My ferry arrives in Sunyshore in half an hour, and I'll fly the rest of the way on Pidgeot. It should only be a few hours."

"What are you going to do?" May's lip trembled a little, and Solidad scoffed, almost laughing.

"Ever since Drew told me his mother's name, and how she left him when he was born, I have been dying to run into her" Solidad admitted brazenly, one hand on her hip. "This little ten year old kid, crying because he lost his first contest and thinking that means he'd never live to overcome this woman that left him and became a top coordinator. He was completely crushed, May. And I promise you that she'll be the reason he was so scared you'd caught up to him in Kanto, because then maybe he'd never move fast enough to win and to equal her. And she'll be the reason he's so awkward with general human interaction, because all he's had is resentful grandparents and a dad who worked too much to try and make something of himself, after she stripped him of the chance to do something more. And then I read all these articles about her in Coordinators Weekly, how she drinks every penny she makes in liquor and suspicions there's harder stuff like pills and powders involved…" Solidad paused, seething a little. "She can spend time snorting crap, but not caring about her son. No, I don't trust her. And if Drew doesn't listen to me, I swear to Arceus he will regret it. I am not taking any crap from either of them."

"You are totally super woman" May laughed nervously, rubbing her face a little. She was completely drained. "Thank you. I just didn't know how to…"

"Honestly May," Solidad raised an eyebrow. "You were too close to this situation to fix it. You're too deeply involved. Didn't his Dad try and push you apart a bit last year?" May nodded mutely. "This is really close to the bone for both of you. Of course you're struggling, and feeling insecure over it. Of course it's making you doubt things. It's too personal. But don't you dare think for a second he isn't completely and utterly in love with you."

"I… In love?" May felt her mouth go dry, and Solidad's face split into the biggest grin she'd ever seen.

"Oh May," she murmured, shaking her head a little. "Ask anyone. That boy loves you more than air. This is more than a bit of a crush, May. This is total, head over heels, he'd spend the rest of his life with you if he could stuff."

"How do you know?" May suddenly found herself defensive and nervous, and Solidad's eyes twinkled.

"I think it was when he got back from seeing you off on the ferry to Kalos" Solidad told her brightly. "I found him in his room with his head in his hands, and I asked him if he was okay. And he looked at me with this huge smile, and…" she paused, considering. "I think his exact words were something like…. 'She still surprises me, every day'."

"I… I surprise him?" May blinked. "That doesn't mean anything."

"May" Solidad interrupted. "I'm not finished. He went on to say something along the lines of… oh man, what was it... it's all in the wording, so I want to make sure I get it right."

"Solidad, I swear if you delay any more…" May felt her cheeks burning and her heart pounding, and any kind of proof Drew still cared about her was so completely necessary that she felt like she could burst.

"How does she do it, how does she never get boring" Solidad recited, her eyes shut as she tried to remember. "How do I tell her I'll never change my mind? How do I find out if she's ever caught up? How do I know if she's ever ready?"

May felt her vision blur for a second, in a way her glasses could never have helped with.

* * *

Brendan and Kenny's battle was intense. It was the quarter finals, and both were filled with a powerful determination that left a tangible tension in the air, riling the audience up to the point of hysteria. Drew was watching backstage, unable to bear the thought of running into May in the audience and having her look at him with those big blue eyes and making him completely crumble on the spot. He had a festival to focus on and he had to win that before anything else. May knew that, and he knew she would know that. This was a conversation that they were forced to delay, all over again.

 _Smack._

A magazine was thrown down in front of him, leaving a loud, ringing noise through the mostly empty backstage hall. He jumped, surprised, and was even more surprised when a flurry of pink hair and disappointment looked him straight in the eye with an unforgiving scowl.

"Page five" Solidad hissed, unmoving. Drew knew better than to test her, or bother with any kind of small talk of greetings and catching up, so instead he scooped up the magazine. Coordinators weekly. Page five was dedicated to the Sinnoh Grand Festival, and more importantly, was filled in the middle with pictures of him with his mother, and great big headlines reading that Top Coordinator Karen dropped the drugs for her precious, beloved son. How the people will rejoice. Drew felt a lump in his throat that wouldn't go away.

"Oh Arceus" he breathed. "I'm a fucking idiot."

* * *

 **The Grand Festival: The Semi Finals**

* * *

Drew knew the second he was paired with Marina in the Semi Finals that he was in some trouble. He was too distracted to fight his best, and the winner would go on to face Brendan in the finals, who had been the dark horse of the entire competition and had blown Kenny out of the water. He had a few hours before he'd be called up to battle, so he waited around in the Pokémon Center, waiting for Nurse Joy to officially clear his Pokémon as ready for battle, going over his strategy repeatedly in his head, again and again and again. He didn't have time to think about his mother, or May, but they kept creeping back into his head like pounding alarms, twisting and shoving through his head and kicking him repeatedly in the chest. Solidad had lectured him for what felt like hours, and had left him almost shaking in total dumbstruck realisation of how much of a total idiot he'd been the past few weeks, and what the hell was he planning on doing about it. He didn't have a clue. She'd swanned off to find May shortly after, saying that she was going to try and convince the poor girl that actually, she hadn't done anything wrong by going to Kalos, that she had been treated completely unfairly, and that none of this was her fault, three things that Drew entirely agreed with, which only made him feel more nauseated.

"Drew?" Nurse Joy called him over from the counter. "Your Pokémon are ready! Good luck in your battle today!"

"Thanks Nurse Joy" Drew replied politely, offering her a grateful smile as he retrieved his six pokeballs. Just as he was turning to leave, to head back for the Contest Hall, Max appeared in front of him, a firm, forceful look on his face. It irked Drew slightly that Max felt he had the authority to do that, but after a moment it sat with him that he probably deserved it.

"Let's talk" Max said gruffly. They ended up walking towards the contest hall together, shuffling along, and both feeling a little apprehensive about the conversation.

"Max," Drew began, immediately apologetic. "I…"

"No." Max turned to him with a jabbing, pointed finger, and a furious snarl he'd never seen on the boy before. "I was on your side. I was so upset May had just disappeared like that. And I thought it was really unfair on you. But the way your mother spoke to my big sister yesterday was unforgivable, and I am completely disgusted that you're just letting this happen. May doesn't deserve that."

"Wait, what?" Drew stopped dead in his tracks, freezing inside as he processed Max's words, watching him turn and face him with that same snarl. "What the hell? What did Mom say to…?"

"She accused May of using you for media attention," Max began, his fists curled. "And then she told May she was selfish and obnoxious, and that choosing to go to Kalos meant she didn't deserve you. She didn't let May see you. May had been upset about it already, and I was making her come along with me to congratulate you for your first round win, but your mother tore her apart before she got the chance. That has been the millionth time May has been crying because of you since she came to Sinnoh and I can't take any more of it." Drew's upper lip curled, and he lowered his head slightly. His hair fell over his eyes.

"Max," he said softly, much softer than his expression matched to. "I'm going to need you to do me a favour."

* * *

May, Solidad and Dawn sat in a neat row, looking out over the contest hall stadium. Dawn and Solidad had met in Johto, and immediately gotten on well, so they talked cheerfully while May lolled her head against Dawn's shoulder, looking passively out on the field. Kenny joined them after a while, sitting on Dawn's other side. Eventually Max joined them too, looking a little nervous and sitting by Solidad. Everyone spent a while assuring Kenny his semi-final match had been phenomenal, which they all thought it had been, leaving him flustered and embarrassed. Finally, out came Marina and Drew, facing off with each other with a tight focus and clenched fists. Drew sent out Masquerain and Absol, and Marina sent out Archy and Chumee, which gave May a chill as she remembered her own semi-final in Johto. Drew was calm, though, and not in any way panicked. Almost calmer than she'd seen him since Johto. She stifled a smile, not wanting to show it.

The battle was closely fought from the beginning. Marina was firing big hits left right and center, and Drew was struggling to keep deflecting them. Masquerain's silver wind was doing a lot of the work in that regard, giving everything a powerful, silvery sheen that kept him from losing too many of the points she seemed determined to drain from him, but it was clear Marina held the momentum of the battle. Her Smoochum was becoming a real problem for Masquerain, firing off ice beams that were only just missing his wings, making him nervous and flighty. Just as Masquerain was about to take out a final big hit on Archy, Chumee had Masquerain completely worn down, and it was two on one. In the commotion, Drew had Absol take out Archy with a powerful water pulse, and then it was just the tiny powerhouse that was Chumee, and his faithful Absol, with that glinting silver chain around his neck.

"Marina, I can only think of one person who has solidly beaten you, time after time" Drew called out confidently, not bothering to hide his smirk. "It's only right that she play a part in my taking you down."

"You can't… be serious" Marina froze, nervous. "Chumee, freeze the field. We need the advantage!"

"There are no advantages left" Drew assured her, flipping his shirt colour up to reveal his concealed, colourful pin. "Absol. Join your emotions with mine. Let's end this together!"

May was on her feet, leaning out over the bars of the spectator stand as Absol mega-evolved again. That snow-white sheen, and those powerful, beautiful wings were burned into her memory like she'd seen them only hours ago, and yet they filled her with an aching nostalgia. Everything hurt all at once, and yet there was this new surge of desperate hope, because he'd mentioned her, and he acknowledged her in a way, and maybe, maybe this meant Solidad had been right, and he was in the process of fixing things properly.

"May?" Max's voice wobbled a little. She turned to him slowly, reluctant to tear her eyes away. "May, he told me to give you this when he mega evolved Absol. He wanted to say thanks, I think."

May found her eyes welling up again, but she smiled, and nodded in some kind of understanding, as she took the thornless rose from Max with a shaking hand, and turned back to the match with a long breath.

"Solidad, I'm sure you noticed." May pursed her lips, trying to calm down a little. "Every time he really means something with the rose he always makes someone else give it to me."

"Ah, but of course" Solidad nodded, laughing freely. "You were always right on the money when you called him a dweeb, you know. So melodramatic, that kid."

Mega Absol seemed impervious to anything Chumee could throw at him. Marina got more and more frustrated, as her ice attacks were rendered pointless and her psychic attacks couldn't do anything against Absol anyway. He tore through what limited defences she had left, and sent Chumee flying with an incredible night slash attack. Chumee was knocked out with ten seconds left on the clock, and Marina's points had been pretty low anyway. It was a resounding victory, and Absol relished in his new form, swishing his longer hair to the side to bring it out of his face, almost like he was flicking it back. Drew observed him proudly. Just the final left to go.

* * *

 **The Grand Festival: The Final**

* * *

Drew was unsettlingly quiet as his mother lectured him firmly on his approach to the final battle. They were getting breakfast together before the finals, and she was so wrapped up in telling him how best to present himself that she hadn't even noticed how silent he was.

"...and you _must_ remember that you'll be interviewed at the end whether you win or lose" she reminded him lightly, sipping at her coffee. "So try to keep a mellow disposition, whether it's a win or a loss. Although, I have every confidence that you'll win. Why, the headlines would be in a _state_ if you lost! It would be such a huge upset, this Brendan boy coming out of nowhere and unseating Drew Hayden. You're practically invincible at the moment."

"You used me" Drew stated softly. Karen paused, placing her mug down carefully. "It was to clean up your media rep, wasn't it? It's been about that from the beginning."

"Preposterous" Karen laughed effervescently. "You're being ridiculous."

"No." His voice came out a little sadder, and a little less forceful than he'd wanted. "No, I'm not." There was a weird silence, in which Karen slowly absorbed Drew's words. Vaguely, she remembered what May said to her, about him going back to her, and she felt a little ill. "You never tried to get in touch, did you?"

Karen didn't reply.

Drew stood up slowly, and took a little money out from his wallet to cover the meal, before side stepping out from the table and walking away from her without another word.

* * *

Marina wasn't happy.

She was sat outside the contest hall, somewhere around the back, with her arms folded and her lips pursed tightly as she listened to the bubbling noise of a settling audience. In general, she was exhausted, and had been secretly a little relieved to lose so she could sleep without worrying about her training for a night.

"Hey," May greeted softly, appearing next to her. "I thought you'd be around somewhere."

"Here to gloat?" Marina asked sharply, frowning. "I would if I was you." May shook her head, humming that she wasn't.

"I wanted to see how you were doing" she explained brightly, sitting next to her rival calmly. "I wanted to make sure you were okay." Marina looked at May strangely for a moment, biting her lip.

"I was kinda mean to you last year" Marina stated factually. May shrugged.

"Oh well" she chimed. "I have people much meaner than you around. You just kept me on my toes, really. No harm in that."

* * *

The lobby was still full when he arrived. The contest hall was going to be packed out for the final, it always was, but suddenly the Grand Festival felt so secondary, and so unimportant to the plot of what was happening. A second ribbon cup didn't change anything for the better, he realised quickly. He couldn't spot anyone he knew straight away, but he knew that someone, _someone_ had to be in there somewhere. He would even have been happy to see Dawn. He tried to scan over people's heads to see the top of Solidad's pink hair, or the bow from May's bandana. He leant to the side, trying to spot Max's shorter form, or Kenny's garish green sweater. But there was nothing, and the room was starting to empty, and maybe they were already in the stands. The thought disheartened him.

"Looking for her?" Marina chimed over his shoulder, leaving the hair to stand on the back of his neck. May hovered awkwardly behind her, flushed in the cheeks. "Relax, Rosie. I'm going to the stands. Have fun awkwardly explaining your emotions!" Her voice crinkled in a fake, cutesy tone, and she laughed as she swung herself away, wriggling her fingers in a goodbye. May giggled nervously.

"She and I just talked, just to check in" she explained quietly. "Cleared the air."

"Never a bad idea" Drew agreed softly. "Clearing air, and all."

"I'm so sorry" May whispered, looking at the floor in a tight, laser focus. "I can't say it enough. I should have never left. It was… incredibly selfish."

"I have never thought that" Drew told her firmly, and she blinked. Her eyes were beginning to well up again, and she tried to will herself really hard not to cry. Not in front of Drew. "It was something for yourself, and for what you wanted to become. But I don't think there is a selfish bone in your body. I think it's something you needed to do for yourself, and you should never regret that on my behalf."

"It ruined everything," she mumbled, shaking her head a little. Drew noticed a twinkle of a tear fly from her eye, and he groaned, rubbing the back of his neck, instantly hating himself.

"My mother did that, not you" Drew grunted, folding his arms unsurely. "I don't know exactly what crap she's been saying to you, but you can discount all of it. I certainly haven't been helping either."

"No, I understand" May told him with a sudden urgency, looking up at him quickly, not bothering to wipe away any more tears in her haste. "You got a mom. That's big. Of course it's going to throw you off balance."

"It doesn't excuse the way I let her speak to you," he replied gently. "And it doesn't excuse any of my actions."

"It's okay." May's voice was dropping down to a whisper again. "I understand. Really." They stood quietly together for a moment, absorbing the awkward tension between them. It had never been this awkward before. "I missed you. When I was in Kalos."

"Arceus, May you have no idea." His voice cracked a bit.

"Can we pretend this is the first time I've seen you since I got here?" May asked bleakly. Drew nearly laughed.

"Yes." He stepped forward, more sure of himself than he'd been in months. "That would be great." Without stopping to think, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled him into her, hiding his face into her hair. It was the first time he'd initiated any kind of hug, or embrace, and May completely melted into him, wrapping her arms around his neck forcefully, absorbing his warmth and his touch and his smell. It felt like coming home. "Don't leave again."

"Okay" she whispered, her voice shaking. "I won't." She coughed nervously as he pulled back, her cheeks a brighter red than her bandana. "You, um, you have a Grand Festival to win."

"Yeah…" Drew looked a little apprehensive. "I don't know. Hm. Well, yeah I guess I do."

"What?" May blinked, confused. "What is it?"

"I haven't thought it through yet, you'll know if it happens" he shrugged noncommittally, and May gave a short sigh, rolling her eyes a little. "Thanks for calling Solidad."

"How did you know that it was me…?" May paused, and he smiled.

"Who else would? Thanks for calling Solidad" he repeated. He began to peel away to head backstage, but May cleared her throat and so he looked back at her inquisitively.

"I spoke to her about… about when I left" May gulped, and Drew began to watch her carefully. Her cheeks were burning brighter than ever, but she dug her heels into the ground. "I just wanted to say that... I won't ever change my mind. And that, er, I caught up. And that, I… well, that I love you." Drew paused, considering her words for a second longer, before smiling.

"Are you ready?" He asked softly. May smiled, nodding slowly.

"I'm ready. Now go do what you have to do."

* * *

Roserade and Drifblim were in position and ready. Brendan called out his Mightyena and Gardevoir, respectively nicknamed Nana and Rara, which he didn't really get, but went along with it quietly. Nothing held the same gravity as it had the year before. The battle felt boring and predictable. Brendan was a brilliant coordinator, he knew that, but May pointing him out early on meant Drew clocked all of his battles, and it hadn't taken him long to figure out his style and his patterns of combinations. He'd saved a few tricks for the final, yes, but nothing strong enough to break Roserade's signature petal dance barrier as their defence, and nothing that couldn't be sent back by a well-timed ominous wind. Drifblim had been a fine addition to his team.

It felt like he had Brendan on the ropes. He was charging up some kind of desperate counterstrike, that probably would have been quite easy to push away, but Drew glanced up and saw the dwindling time, and the difference in their scores. Roserade knew before even he did. She dropped the petal dance wall, and signalled for Drifblim to stay close to her, because if they were going down, they were going down together.

Brendan won, with a slick double knockout even he hadn't seen coming. The judges and the audience were screaming, in total uproar over this huge upset, and this sly underdog sweeping victory out from under Top Coordinator Drew Hayden's feet. Drew suppressed a smile, and thanked his Pokémon softly, returning them to their pokeballs, shaking Brendan's hand politely, and leaving the stadium. He tried to avoid reporters, but the ones that caught him, all he allowed himself to say, regardless of the question, was "I owe a lot to my father, and the sacrifices he made that allowed me the opportunities I've had."

Once he was free of the stadium, he was left with no idea where to go. He could return to the festival dorms, to his room, but he felt too restless. He contemplated getting Nurse Joy to give Roserade and Drifblim a check up, but he knew they were completely fine, so it felt pointless when he had some potions in his pockets ready. The stadium was emptying out around him, to breathe for a few hours before the award ceremony. A hand found his with a smile, which he returned without hesitation. May leant into his side with a slow, calming breath.

"You threw the match" she observed dryly.

"Yes" he confirmed, nodding. He was pleased with himself. "Yes I did. Have you figured out why?"

"No one will report on Karen being your mother if they're busy talking about Brendan being your superior" May clicked her tongue as she spoke. "Smart move Hayden. Didn't think you could swallow your ego like that."

"I don't need a trophy to tell me I'm better than him." Drew shrugged. "What do we do now?"

"Well, there's the ribbon cup ceremony in a few hours" May reminded him. "Dawn, Max and Kenny are all baffled as to why you threw the match, but Solidad figured it out pretty quick. You might want to explain to them."

"I'd rather blow it all off" Drew snorted, tightening his grip on her hand. "Max has the league coming up, right? I presume you're going."

"Yeah, it's in a few weeks" May nodded, frowning.

"Then let's get our stuff together, forget the stupid formalities, and go." Drew felt suddenly very calm. "I want to see Max in the league. I need to talk to Solidad, but that'll take ten minutes. Other than that, who cares? Let's just go."

"Don't you want to talk to your father?" May pursed her lips, trying to stop herself from smiling. Drew shook his head.

"Took care of it" he assured her. "Let's go, May. I want to go." May paused, looking up at him for a second. He was resolved, and at peace, but there was a hardness to his words that reminded her how much his mother's actions had hurt him. Slowly, she rolled herself onto the very tip of her toes, and gently pressed her lips to the end of his nose.

"Okay," she agreed. "Let's go."

* * *

 **Are You Ready?**

* * *

"I can't believe you bailed on the ceremony" Dawn gushed. "Literally. It's mind blowing."

"I'm more focusing on the whole, threw the entire Grand Festival just to one up your mother, thing" Kenny cut in, nearly laughing. "Both really kinda badass and also totally unbelievable all at once."

"Drew likes to make you think he's cool," Max informed them dutifully, pushing his glasses up his nose a little, "but it's a lie. It's a well thought out, calculated lie. This is part of the lie. Never forget, he is in fact a weenie."

"I can confirm," May chimed in happily. "He is indeed a weenie. I prefer the term dweeb, which is something I feel I have made very clear, but weenie is also one hundred percent acceptable."

"Wow, my heart soars, such loving sentiments from the Maples have brought me to new levels of joy" Drew drawled, arching his back. "I'll have the words written on my gravestone someday. Mark my words."

"If the words on your gravestone aren't something referencing your more uncool qualities, of which there are _so_ many, I am going to graffiti it saying 'cried at first contest. Lived a weenie, died a weenie.'" Solidad pressed her hand onto Drew's head, and he scowled and batted her away, beginning to get flustered.

"Not you too, Sol" he groaned, a very faint blush lining his cheekbones. "You're supposed to be the mature one here."

"Oh Drew," she grinned. "Not a chance." They were walking together towards Sunyshore City, where a large portion of their group would get on ships to head either home, or to their next destination. Dawn was rambling on at May about her plans.

"I meant to go to Hoenn a few months back, but I decided to leave it till next season" she explained excitedly. "I even got on a ship before I realised it was too late. Very annoying. And expensive. But it worked out in the end, and now I get to start the season fresh! I'm headed straight for Lilycove, which I'm really excited about."

"You'll love Hoenn" May agreed sweetly, nodding thoughtfully. "It's so beautiful, and the temperature is ridiculous. You are going to love the heat."

"Plus, if you're in Petalburg, go to the gym and our parents will give you a big home cooked meal and general parent homely love" Max filled in, smiling. "Mom would be heartbroken if we had friends come through town and they didn't feel like they could stop in for a break."

"Your parents sound like such sweethearts" Dawn giggled, and May nodded, smiling.

"Totally. They're lovely and will help you if you're ever stuck, you have my word" May added on. "So no need to worry, right?"

"Right!" Dawn grinned. "Where are you going next, May?"

"Um… somewhere with contests!" May replied sheepishly. "I've been delaying that decision. We'll see."

"Well, I'm also going to Hoenn" Solidad butted in. "And I hear Harley is too."

"Where has Harley been this season?" May asked with a frown, and Solidad smirked.

"You didn't hear?" She laughed. "Harley has been busy training. Like real, serious training. He isolated himself off in the deepest parts of the Sevii Islands, down south of Kanto. He is determined to get his revenge on Drew, it would be terrifying if he wasn't such a doll."

"So, it's just terrifying" May deadpanned. Drew smirked openly.

"I can take him." He wasn't worried. "Kenny, where are you headed?"

"Hoenn" he seamlessly replied. "It's time to get out of Sinnoh."

"Seems like everyone is in Hoenn, huh?" May paused, giving Drew a strange look. He smiled. There was still a conversation they needed to have, to clarify where they stood exactly, and to make it clear where they went forward to. But Drew was sure they had the same idea in mind, so he closed his eyes for a moment to show his agreement. She beamed. "Okay. Hoenn it is!"

Knowing they'd all be together again soon made the goodbye much easier. Drew and Solidad shared some quiet words before she gave May and Max each a sweet embrace before boarding. Kenny and Drew shared some firm, respectful handshake that made May and Dawn share an entertained laugh together. Max was determined to say a flustered goodbye to Dawn, which entertained May even more, and May surprised Kenny with a hug and a quiet thank you, regarding his words in the Pokémon center rooms, which left him a little embarrassed, but pleased. Dawn threw her arms around Drew, which he refused to reciprocate, and she took great joy in prodding his cheek and telling him he didn't seem as grumpy as he did a year ago. He took it on the chin, and only once told her to stop touching him before he burnt her at the stake. May had a slightly longer, tighter embrace with Dawn than the others, and Dawn reminded her that next season they'd be competition, and it would all be fierce rivalry from then on out. May was thrilled at the prospect, and waving off the ship didn't really feel like a goodbye, and more like a postponing of their new beginning. They knew they would be joining them in Hoenn soon.

* * *

Max was doing well in the League. He'd won his third round, beating his Hoenn record, and was proud of his accomplishment. In celebration, May insisted they all go out to dinner, and she made a real effort to spoil him after their parents hadn't been able to make it this year. Drew didn't mind, and felt weirdly proud every time he noticed a move that Max made that he'd borrowed from Drew's time training with him. He'd always wanted a younger sibling, after having such limited time with his father, and a non-existent mother, and he could see that May completely doted on him when he wasn't trying to wind her up.

After they'd dropped him off at his League dorm rooms, and were carrying on to where they were staying in the Pokémon Center, he took hold of her hand. She smiled at him, immediately flustered. Weeks on, it was still rare for him to initiate any physical contact between them, but that just meant when he did it was even more special for her and left her a little breathless. The sky was dark by then, the sun had set some time while they were eating, but there were still tinges of pink light just fading above them. Street lights had flickered on already, casting yellow pools of light which they dipped in and out of as they walked along the street.

"It means a lot to him that you're here" May murmured, intertwining their fingers. "So thank you."

"Ah I wanted to come, I think" Drew laughed awkwardly. "I weirdly enjoyed travelling with him. He's irritating as hell, but…"

"But he's a sweet guy" May nodded, smiling. "Still, thanks. You were around for him when I wasn't and I appreciate it."

"Its fine" he replied gruffly, and she spotted his ears turning pink. "So after the league, Hoenn, I guess."

"Yep." May popped the p as she spoke, swinging their arms a little. "I'm going to destroy you. That ribbon cup is mine."

"We'll see how you manage the season first" Drew replied wearily, and May gave a burst of a laugh.

"We'll see how you handle the ferry journey first!" She retorted quickly. Drew scowled and nudged her ribs a little with his elbow.

"You're getting better at insulting me" he stated dryly. "I don't like it."

"That's a shame, I really really like it" May grinned. He scoffed and muttered under his breath, but let it slide, a little tired after a full meal. They walked quietly for a moment, hands tightly grasped together, in a warm, gentle calm. It felt peaceful. "Drew?"

"Yes, May?" He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. May looked a little bothered by something.

"You never said it back." Her voice was so low she nearly mouthed it, but Drew picked it up clear enough. He nearly had to stop himself from laughing - he probably would have if she hadn't looked so worried.

"Has this been bothering you?" Drew asked lightly, and May nodded, clearly a little embarrassed. "I thought it was obvious."

"It might be to you" May countered, sulking a little. "It's not that simple."

"Well, alright." Drew stopped her from walking any further, and turned her around to face him, scooping her chin up with one finger and lifting her lips to his, seamlessly. May made a quiet, muffled noise of surprise, but his mouth felt soft and warm pressed against hers, and she found herself moulding against him, with her hands finding his shoulders, and his neck, and his hair, while his free hand smoothed along her back, a reassuring pressure keeping her close. It was intimate, but short, and as he pulled back he gave her a wicked grin that made her stomach drop a little. "I love you. Are you convinced? Or are you still not ready, after literally a decade?"

"I am so, so ready" May replied breathlessly, and brought their mouths back together.


	3. Hoenn (Part One)

**Hoenn - Part One**

* * *

 **Welcome Home**

* * *

"I'll be honest," Matthew said, placing the two mugs onto the counter with a quiet clatter. "I'm surprised you stopped in."

"I know" Drew replied lightly, lifting one with a silent nod of thanks. He blew on the black coffee gently. "I like to keep you guessing." Sitting in his childhood home was a strange and foreign experience for Drew. It hadn't changed much since he last came home. His Grandparents were exceedingly wealthy, and despite fallout over Drew's conception, supported the pair of them without hesitation. They had never wanted for money, which Drew had utilised at the beginning of his journey for a sense of superiority over his fellow coordinators, spooking them with private hotels and smug glances, but eventually he decided to cut himself off from his Grandparent's money and rely on his own skill to both fund his journey, and intimidate his competitors. It was more satisfying. However, it had meant the home he had been raised in had been one of modern convenience. The kitchen they sat in was slick and monochrome. It was minimalist, but only in the sense that every detail and feature was concealed by design. If he pressed his hand to a certain point in the counter top, more storage would be revealed behind the walls. La Rousse was known for technological advancements, particularly in the homes of the wealthy.

"Apparently," Matthew arched an eyebrow. "It's good to see you, though. I enjoyed Coordinators Weekly's analysis on the Sinnoh Grand Festival."

"Didn't we all." Drew hid a satisfied smirk behind his drink. The contest themed magazine had lost all semblance of control when Drew had lost the Grand Festival Final to a relatively unknown coordinator. There was a ten page spread, walking through every individual move that had been made in the final, timelines of Brendan's assent through the Festival, and expert opinions on all the reasons Drew's Pokémon should have been able to survive the relatively flimsy attack that had led to the double knock out. "What can I say? I live for scandal.

"I particularly enjoyed," Matthew began to snort into his own drink, laughing, "the little line you threw in about my sacrifices. That was a nice way to twist the knife. I don't condone passive aggression, unless it's done really, really well. That was very well done."

"I like to think it served a dual purpose" Drew paused, suddenly looking down. Matthew was still laughing a little, but he reached across and clapped his son on the shoulder firmly.

"It did" he confirmed solidly, almost smiling, but instead choosing to hide it with a gulp of his drink. "So, how's May?"

"Fine. She's in Petalburg with her family at the moment, preparing for the new season" Drew replied quietly, not comfortable with discussing her with him quite yet. Matthew paused, waiting for him to continue. "What?"

"What?" Matthew was irked. "I'm not allowed to ask about your girlfriend?"

"The last time we had a conversation about May you made it very clear you thought she was just a distraction" Drew retorted gruffly, and irritation could almost be seen radiating from his father instantly. "Well, you did."

"Drew, of course I did." Matthew was losing his patience. "Okay, let's talk frankly for a moment and get this all out in the clear, because I'm not having you run around like some melodramatic, whiney bitch who blames all of his life problems on daddy issues."

"Well, you clearly know me so well" Drew snarked back, regretting coming to visit. "Alright, fine. What is it you so desperately want to say to put me in my place?"

"This is the issue, isn't it?" Matthew rolled his eyes. "I _don't_ know you. On your tenth birthday, you disappeared before I could even blink. You leave no contact information and I find out you're entering contests by keeping up with publications. I follow them as best I can, but have no way of anticipating where you're going to be. When I do track you down, you either reject my attempts at talking to you, or you tell me not to come to your contests."

"Because I didn't want you to be part of my career" Drew returned quickly. "I spent a childhood watching contests and telling you I might compete in them one day, and then I find out you had to ditch them to raise me while my mother swans off and becomes this great legendary coordinator. I wanted to beat her, and I didn't want you to have anything to do with that. It was my own, personal ambition, and you wanted to make it yours too."

"Of course my ambition was to see you succeed" Matthew slammed his fist down on the table suddenly, and Drew jumped a little, surprised. "You are my son." There was a brief silence. "You are my son, and you have a natural intelligence and ability that few in this world possess, and I am not embarrassed to say you get it from your mother. I was not going to control that, because I don't have the ability to. Just because I wanted you to succeed, it doesn't mean I wanted to be the driving force of it. It would have been nice to hear that you were breathing, from time to time, though."

"Then why did you tell me to be wary of May, and to treat her as a distraction?" Drew replied, albeit a little subdued.

"Because how the hell was I supposed to know she was good for you?" Matthew nearly laughed. "Arceus, Andrew. Finally, you allow me to come to see one of your contests, a Grand Festival, at that. You clearly had feelings for this girl, and from what I had seen from only being able to watch your contests from afar, she had lost to you resoundingly in Hoenn and then beaten you in Kanto. Can you blame me for thinking your feelings for her had conflicted with your ambitions? I had spoken to you, on average, once a year since you left. I didn't know the kind of person you were becoming, or what role she had to play in that. I only knew a ten year old filled with pride and ambition to best his mother, and I only knew you hadn't lost sight of that entirely. I wanted you to succeed."

"So suddenly, this is my fault" Drew replied, his voice low and uncertain. "When did that happen?"

"It was never your fault" Matthew began to relax, settling into his seat. "Your mother made things difficult in many ways. I did not want to discuss things with you properly, as I should have. Your grandparents treated you very unkindly for a long time, out of pride for my sake. Your reaction was understandable. You wanted to prove yourself and you wanted to do it alone. And I wanted that for you, to an extent. However, it would have been nice to have had a better view."

"I invited you to the Johto Grand Festival because I knew I was ready to win" Drew suddenly said, almost briskly. Matthew nodded.

"I know. It's thanks to that that we're able to have this conversation now." His voice was still low, but it had a brighter tone. "You have matured impeccably since you left La Rousse. I'm not blind to May's influence in that. In fact, I had a very helpful conversation with her at Lake Valor."

"You did?" May had never mentioned it to him, but Drew wasn't surprised by that. She always seemed hesitant to talk about his parents unless he brought them up. "I didn't know."

"I asked her to keep an eye out, after your little outburst when you registered for the festival" he explained briskly. "It was the morning of your birthday, I believe. I knew you would not listen to me, but that she might have more sway with you."

"Well, I'm not sure how to respond to that" Drew scoffed, but not in a harsh way, and Matthew suppressed a smile. "So suddenly you and May are best friends?"

"I think there was still a level of uncertainty on her half," Matthew looked up, pondering. "But I, personally, think quite highly of her." Drew blinked, a little taken back, but shook his head slowly to himself as he imagined the two of them sat together talking, with her big smile and silly jokes, and his father's dry sarcasm and blunt words. It was an odd image in his head. "Now, I'm going to ask you again, now that you seem a little less angst ridden on the subject. How is May?"

"Fine," Drew repeated, returning to his coffee. "She's fine. She wanted to come to La Rousse, but she's getting contact lenses sorted out before the season so she doesn't have to wear her glasses during contests, and her Dad organised it for her in Petalburg for this week."

"Sensible," Matthew nodded. "It's been a few months since the festival. What have you been doing with your time?"

"May had been to Sinnoh before but she hadn't really seen much of it, bar Lake Valor and Snowpoint City, which is good as I wasn't exactly keen to head in that direction." Drew shrugged awkwardly, and Matthew nodded. "So we backtracked a bit. She likes... exploring." Images of her running through Eterna Forest with her fingers in that stupid rectangular shape flashed in his mind, so Drew took another gulp of coffee to smother the smile that was threatening to stretch over his face.

"Will you be travelling together in the upcoming season?" Matthew asked lightly, but Drew shook his head.

"We agreed pretty quickly it would be a bad idea. We'd be competing in all the same contests, and seeing each other train all the time…" Drew trailed off, frowning. "It would be self-sabotage for the season. I can't ignore the fact she's my biggest competition as well."

* * *

The contest season had started well, for May. Her first ribbon in Verdanturf had been hard fought, after bumping into Kenny much earlier than anticipated, but Altaria had pulled off a beautiful win, her cloudy wings brushing over his Breloom with little difficulty. Returning to contests in Hoenn was refreshing for May, in that it was suddenly the pure, simple contest format she had fallen in love with as a beginner. A single Pokémon, carrying you through the entire contest. The ribbon was won by a particular Pokémon, and showcased its individual skills and attributes and beauty, and there was something intimate and personal about that that May adored. She'd grabbed a coffee with Kenny afterwards, and he'd told her light-heartedly it was frustrating having all of these powerful rivals and little chance to ever really compete with them properly, so she spent a good amount of time talking him up and convincing him he just needed to keep at it, and that eventually he'd pick up pace again. She'd wanted to ask about Dawn, and how their conversation had been once they'd left Sinnoh, but there was a weight to the bags under his eyes that told her perhaps it wasn't something he cared to be reminded of.

May didn't mind travelling alone any more. Kalos had been so beautiful and so kind to her, that suddenly her own whims as to where she put her feet and her own ambitions and desires being the only she had to contend with, were suddenly the most fortunate thing she could have and gave her the ability to drift meaninglessly as she pleased. Ash was not there to tell her to stop shopping, and train instead. Brock was not there to baby her and stop her from caring for herself, as she was fully capable of doing. Max was not there to annoy and frustrate her. And Drew was not there to antagonise and motivate her into pushing forwards, when for a moment she needed to be still. With space, and time, and room to breathe and recalculate, she was much surer of how she would approach this season. It wasn't going to be with force, nor was it going to be with hesitation. It was the first time May felt this calm, moving among towns whimsically as contests called her, at home among the summer heat and the balmy air. She'd loved Kanto, and Johto, and Kalos, and her summer in Sinnoh with Drew. But Hoenn was her home, and every moment there was rejuvenating and lifting for her.

After she finished in Verdanturf, she headed to Rustboro and then northward to Meteor Falls, where she wanted to do a little training and preparation for an upcoming second contest in Fallborough. She and Drew had gotten into the habit of texting the other their travel plans as they happened, just so there was an idea for each of them where the other was. It had been a learning curve, for both of them, to be accountable and attached to the other. It had come more naturally for May than Drew, but it was Drew who was more in need of the assurance, which was surprising to May. She supposed, though, her disappearing to Kalos had left a sour taste in his mouth, though he was always determined that it hadn't. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he was also still bothered by his mother's brief interference with his life last season, and the whole situation had left him sensitive to little things May wouldn't have otherwise been concerned with. He was somewhere in Fortree, which felt years away.

Meteor Falls were always a beautiful place to explore. There was something about moving water that brought a deep sense of peace to May - she'd felt the same way exploring Couriway Town in her last weeks in Kalos, resting from all the excitements of cities and mega evolution before heading for Johto once more.

"May from Petalburg." A surprised, albeit soft voice interrupted her thoughts as she stared at the crashing, endless tide of water in front of her. May turned quickly, giving a nervous smile.

"Oh! Marina!" May greeted her pleasantly. "It's nice to see you." Marina had her arms folded, immediately defensive, but looked more uncomfortable than anything. Heat in Hoenn took getting used to, and Marina clearly wasn't yet, with slightly frizzed hair and a somewhat damp sheen to her skin. "How are you finding Hoenn?"

"Humid" the girl responded, slightly hatefully. "I was training near Rustboro and came in here for a break from the constant sweating. The waterfall makes it much cooler."

"I wouldn't recommend going further back in the caves then," May offered politely. "It can get really stuffy, and there are a lot of dragon type trainers who congregate here. Lots of fire and dragon moves in a trapped area makes for a total sauna."

"Thanks for the tip" Marina returned politely. "I like the shorts."

"Oh thanks!" May giggled a little, looking down at herself. Her mother had gifted her with a climate appropriate outfit for the new season while she was in Petalburg. It was simple and easy to move in, with black biker shorts and a red tank top, and white denim shorts over the top. She had her old bandana tied normally, but to keep her longer hair from falling down her back she tucked it into a small bun at the base of her neck. May had started getting into the habit of tying it a little differently though, but only when she was mega evolving so she could reach her keystone. It was just more practical to take her bandana off and use it as a headband, so she could easily access the brightly coloured earring. "Any ribbons yet?"

"My first one will be down in Lavaridge next week" Marina explained lightly. I'm headed that way tomorrow."

"Ah yeah - I was going to go to that one" May remembered, frowning to herself as she tried to figure out why she'd changed her mind. "I think I decided I wanted to do a little more work with my new Shinx first."

"When did you catch a Shinx? Another Kalos surprise?" Marina's voice was a little sarcastic. May had collected a small backlog of Pokémon during her travels, and most of them stayed in Petalburg with her mother caring for them for her. May shook her head, ignoring the tone to Marina's question.

"I caught her around Jubilife City - Drew and I wandered around Sinnoh after the festival" May explained brightly, not bothering to conceal a grin.

"Gross" Marina commented sagely. "You're _that_ couple. The 'oh we just… you know, spent a few weeks drifting around Sinnoh, on a whim. No big deal. We're so in love, look how gross and happy we are'." May pulled a face, not really too worried for Marina's opinion of her relationship, and decided to smile instead. "Well regardless, it's been real. I'm heading back to training."

"It's nice to be competing against you again," May replied honestly, with a little bow in between. "I look forward to battling you in a contest!"

"Yeah" Marina paused, looking at May with somewhat wary, but slightly confused eyes. "Yeah, me too. Later May."

* * *

Fortree always felt like a novelty to Drew. He knew it was a place of rich history, of living closely alongside Pokémon in their natural habitats and the inhabitants loved having the wild Pokémon nesting alongside them, but he couldn't take it seriously. It felt tongue in cheek. But he had fond memories here - this is where he had captured his Absol - and so returning for a contest had been a pleasure.

He hadn't expected to lose, though.

Harley's presence was unwelcome, as ever, in Drew's life, but he couldn't deny that his Pokémon had levelled up significantly during their sabbatical in the Sevii Islands. His Cacturne had landed a particularly nasty blow to Absol in the finals, with a dangerously powerful pin needle, and it had left Drew with a bitter aftertaste as he stood waiting for Nurse Joy to give the all clear, impatient as he watched Harley croon about with some of the other coordinators from the contest. He was taunting them with his forest green ribbon as he wiggled it in front of their faces, laughing frothily.

"Oh Drew, honey, there you are!" Harley sang, wriggling as he popped up in front of him. "Oh isn't this so fun to all be back in Hoenn? You, me, May and Solidad too! All together again like the happy little family we are!"

"Harley, your breath is offensive" Drew commented dryly. "Please try not to speak directly at me, I'd rather retain my sense of smell in the future."

"Oh look who is sulky and petulant because big mean ol' Harley beat him" Harley pouted, before giving off a loud, trilling laugh that began to bring a headache on for Drew. "Poor baby. Maybe now you've learnt something from your petty little ways in Johto, mmm?"

"Harley if you're still so immature as to hold onto a grudge this long, then you're definitely the one who's petty" Drew scoffed, checking the time on his watch. Absol should be ready, soon.

"Ah but Drew, hon, that's where you're wrong" Harley corrected him harshly, dropping his more flowery demeanour. "I had dropped my grudge. May and I were totes cool with each other when you dropped your little passive aggressive assist bull. You're the one that held onto a grudge, sweetie."

"I find the kind of character that will try and trick someone naive in order to improve their contest standings pathetic" Drew replied gruffly. "And I wanted to make that clear."

"Hon," Harley cleared his voice, and then began to laugh again. "Hon, stop lying. You hated me from the beginning, and it had nothing to do with contests! It was entirely to do with your little crush on the Princess of Eyewear, though."

"I find you nauseating" Drew scowled, and Harley continued to laugh.

"Oh think about it!" He continued, leaning a little too close to Drew. "When we first met, I was all buddy buddy with your girlfriend, and held her hand, and was on familiar terms with her, and you were still throwing shade and roses like they cancelled each other out!" Drew flinched, craning his neck back to try and move away from him. "You were jealous of me."

"There is no way in hell that I would ever be jealous of you" Drew deadpanned. "Please leave me alone."

"And now, I've just proven that I'm a good enough coordinator to challenge you and take you down" Harley continued. "My time off to regroup and train worked wonders. Solidad did the same, and so did May. We've all taken big grown up steps since Johto, honey. What have you done? Successfully gotten a girlfriend? Congratulations, but those won't work as your big boy pants for long!"

"You are tiresome and I hate you" Drew grunted.

"You haven't changed a bit since Johto!" Harley reiterated, his hands on his hips. "I watched your Grand Festival in Sinnoh, you know. You were saved by that trick with Absol, or you would have lost in the Semi-finals, and though we all know you would have won the final if it weren't for you throwing it for some bizarre reason," Harley paused, giving a big grin that showed all of his teeth. "Really, your coordinating hadn't improved at all since you won in Johto. And you won so narrowly then, too!"

"What are you trying to say, Harley?" Drew sighed. "Can you get to the point of it so I don't have to talk to you anymore?"

"I'm saying, that you're over" Harley told him briskly. "You are done. This season will be the season of your failure. And you'll know how I felt in Johto. And the best part of it will be, that I that I will not trick you, or lie to you, or manipulate you in anyway. I, and everyone else, will just be a lot better than you."

* * *

 **Mauville City**

* * *

"I don't know, May." Dawn wriggled her nose a little as they wandered down the corridors of the city. "The entire city is… indoors?" Piplup shifted restlessly in her arms, not a fan of the synthetic light.

"It's been completely reconstructed over the past year" May explained, looking around cheerfully. "The bottom floor is all of the commercial things anyone could need, there's a big courtyard garden in the middle, and the upper floors are all high end apartments. Then there are houses and more residences in the outskirts" May explained eagerly, dragging Dawn along by the wrist. "How does this not excite you? It's so cool! It's such a big city but it's completely unique, there's nowhere else in the world like it!"

"It's basically a giant department store" Dawn rolled her eyes, before pausing. "Arceus, why am I complaining? It's a _giant department store!"_ May squeaked and nodded, glad her friend had finally caught on. "Oh my mew, the shopping that we are going to do here. May, _the shopping._ " Piplup grunted unhappily, chirping. Dawn apologised to him with a giggle, but popped him on top of her head to try and quiet him down - he usually preferred to sit up there.

"Now you get it" May grinned. "Now, there are a lot of places I want to visit and Drew should get here around two, I think. This leaves us about four hours. The food court is going to be a big part of our day, so we need to go there with at least an hour to spare." Piplup looked much more excited at the prospect of a food court.

"That leaves us three hours." Dawn closed her eyes for a moment, bringing a finger to her lips thoughtfully. "We need to ration our time carefully, and prioritise. Is there anything you actually specifically need?"

"I wanted to look at getting a new bag," May gestured to her fanny pack with a small frown. "This ol' boy is starting to wear through. You?"

"I wanted to… well, I dunno…" Dawn looked down at herself unsurely. "I've been wearing this ever since I started travelling, I kinda feel like…"

"New outfit?" May's ears pricked up. "Oh my gosh we have so much to do. Let's go. Right now. There's a boutique around the corner."

* * *

The journey between Fortree and Mauville was long and arduous, and always left whoever was making the trek covered in plant life and mud by the time they got to wherever they were going. Drew had been walking towards Mauville for about a week now, and only now was he getting anywhere close. He'd been walking since dawn to get there at a decent time, knowing May had skipped a contest she'd planned on entering in Slateport to be around when he arrived. They hadn't seen each other since he'd gone to visit his father, and that was well over two months ago, and as much as she'd been the surprisingly calm one about these things, he'd felt painfully bothered by it. They spoke on the phone regularly, and when they were both in a Pokémon Center for the night they spoke using the video phones, but her physical absence felt like a painful reminder of her disappearing to Kalos, and it was bothering him more than it should have. There was a part of him concerned that he'd become so reliant upon seeing her, but there was a larger part of him simply more concerned with seeing her. There was a block in the path that had always been there, the little bit of coast that dipped in, and it was near impossible to go around it, so when he got close enough to Mauville he had Flygon carry him the rest of the way, skimming over the beaches and hovering over the building that was Mauville City. The courtyard in the center had access to the Pokémon Center, so he could drop off his Pokémon and catch his breath before going to find May.

When he called her and she said she was just looking at something with Dawn, and _'come to the small stand near the entrance, the one near that leads towards Verdanturf!'_ , he walked faster than his legs really wanted to at that point, but he assured himself there was plenty of time to feel tired later. He found them admiring a very small, tucked away stall, pouring over glass cases filled with different shaped stones and gems it seemed. Dawn looked different, all of a sudden. Her outfit, or something. It wasn't his main focus, really. As he approached, he slowed himself a little, and May was the first to notice him, turning on her heel and bursting into a huge smile that instantly calmed him down.

"Drew!" She cheered, jumping forwards a little and throwing her arms around his neck, giggling in a bright, stupidly happy way. He was a little taken back with the sudden assault, but hid a smile in her hair and wrapped one arm around the small of her back, feeling like a weight had shifted from his shoulders.

"You're in a good mood," he commented wryly, and she fell back with a grin, nodding.

"Huh, guess so" she teased. Rolling his eyes, he kissed her cheek quickly by means of greeting, and she blushed a quick, bright pink, clearly pleased.

"If you two are done making everyone want to be sick" Dawn called over, wriggling her fingers jovially. "That would be great. I'm just glad Piplup went back in his pokeball, or else he'd be throwing all kinds of shade at you both for the cutesy display."

"Dawn," Drew acknowledged, sighing a little. "It is literally never a pleasure to see you."

"Oh honey you know all the right things to say!" Dawn chimed back, her eyes twinkling good-naturedly. "You might wanna take a look at these too grumpy, something might catch your eye!"

"Hm?" Drew allowed May to pull him across while she nodded furiously.

"Mega stones" May clarified eagerly. "Lots. I've even found one for Venusaur, which I didn't know I could do. That's the third Pokémon I can mega evolve now!"

"That's daunting" Drew replied dryly, glancing over the stones they were gesturing to. They seemed to come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, but all seemed to be orbs in the least. They had small labels attached to each one, with a Pokémon name and an origin explanation. Many were found in underground tunnels in Kalos, and May explained there was a Pokémon called Diancie over there which was rumoured to have the power to create them, though she'd only heard about it and never met it.

"Look," May pointed out quickly, pausing. "A stone for Houndoom."

"That could come in handy," Drew admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "I wonder if Roserade could ever mega evolve. Or Flygon. Flygon strikes me as the kind of Pokémon that should be able to do it."

"Neither of them have been reported to yet, but you never know!" May hid a smile. "Houndoom would be good though. You should get it!"

"Nawh, there's nothing here for any of my Pokémon though." Dawn gave a bit of a pout as she began to sulk. "I really wanted to try it."

"Do you even have a key stone?" Drew arched an eyebrow at her, but Dawn responded childishly, sticking her tongue out at him grumpily.

"Not yet," she told him hotly. "But I will. Wait and see."

"Do you like her new clothes?" May asked lightly, trying to stop them from bickering. "We picked them out today! I, personally, am still proud of finding those shorts." She gestured to the high waisted, bubblegum pink shorts that Dawn was wearing, and Dawn gave off a sudden, awkward laugh.

"I'm just glad my boots still match" Dawn trilled back. "It would have felt wrong without them!" She'd paired the shorts with long, thigh high black socks and a turtle necked, sleeveless black top. Now Drew looked properly, he recognised the change.

"They look okay" Drew shrugged, passive.

"Don't listen to him!" May immediately puffed up, glaring at him. "Seriously, don't. You don't want to know how long he wore aqua pants for. It was a crime against fashion."

"You wear a fanny pack, May" Drew drawled, folding his arms. "I hardly think you're one to judge."

He ended up buying the mega stone, which was a little more expensive than he'd anticipated but reasoned with himself it was an investment and well worth it in the long run. May made a passing, teasing comment about Mega Houndoom's assist being even more impressive, and while ordinarily the reference would have amused him, it made him swallow a little and frown at his purchase a little analytically. May stopped, confused, and subtly tried to brush his hand with hers by means of a silent question, but he shook his head at her ever so slightly, shaking it off.

They walked together towards the exit of Mauville that lead up to the deserts and Verdanturf town, where Dawn was headed next. Along the way, May was happy chirping away at Drew about how refreshing it was to change things up sometimes and how she was sure it would help boost Dawn up a little in her training, talking more for Dawn's sake than Drew's, but her words sat with him a little and he pursed his lips, humming along as she spoke. He was so trapped in his thoughts, he almost didn't notice a man with a bulky blue rucksack charge around the corner and almost straight into Dawn as she was walking, but he saw just in time and was able to act quickly, grabbing both girls and tugging them back so that there was no collision. May squeaked as she was pulled, but Dawn didn't say anything, totally surprised as this man tripped and fell next to them, crashing to the ground.

"Hey, careful there" Drew said gruffly, displeased. "You could have hit someone, running around like that."

"I'm sorry!" The man scrambled to his feet, a little disjointed and distracted. "I really am, I'm very sorry!"

"Are you alright?" Dawn asked softly, a little shocked still, but well meaning. The man turned to her with a wide eyed blink.

"Um, yes, thank you. I'm sorry for almost crashing into you like that, really, I just had to get away from my apartment before the landlord showed up" he explained nervously, wringing his hands. "My rent is… a little late."

"Oops" Dawn giggled, which seemed to cut whatever tension the man was feeling and he began to laugh as well. "I'm sure you'll get back on top of things soon!"

"Thank you" he grinned, rubbing the back of his neck a little. "Hey, here, have this. I feel bad for nearly stampeding you, and I don't have a use for it any more after I stopped travelling." Rooting around in his bag, he pulled out a milky white orb with a small clasp, which meant it would fasten onto an accessory easier. Dawn made a little o shape with her mouth, taking it delicately. "Is this…?"

"A mega stone!" He nodded. "It's for a Lopunny. I don't know if you have one, but if you don't you can always sell them for a tidy profit. I haven't used it in years, I used to train over in Kalos and I picked it up while I was there."

"Dawn that's so cool, when your Buneary evolves, you can totally use this" May cheered, grinning big. Dawn nodded, clearly a little nervous.

"I don't have a key stone" Dawn reminded her gently, shaking her head to herself. "This is very sweet of you, but I can't accept this."

"Oh don't be ridiculous," the man scoffed. "I collect these things, I never even had a Lopunny. I was on my way to sell it myself, to make rent, and I have plenty others to sell. It's not that precious to me. In fact, I think I even have… a keystone… somewhere in here." He was rummaging through his bag again, and finally pulled out a small navy box with a small, coloured stone, not unlike May's and Drew's keystones. Dawn was flushed and unsure, but he passed it to her. It had a clasp, not unlike the Mega Stone he'd given her. "Take it. Use it. Nice people deserve nice things!"

"I… thank you!" Dawn gushed, taking it nervously and rolling the keystone between her fingers. "This is so exciting! I was literally just… just looking at these, you know? It's awesome, thanks so much, I'll work really hard!"

"Great," the man grinned, raising a hand by means of farewell. "It was a pleasure, there. I'm off to try and make rent - maybe I'll see you again some time."

"Sure!" Dawn beamed. "Thanks so much, again!"

He wandered off, a lot slower and more cautious with where he was headed, and Dawn turned to May and Drew with a slight flourish, grinning from ear to ear in an almost catlike way, with her hands firmly placed on her hips and her feet placed solidly apart, a picture of confidence and renewed energy. Drew paused, mildly irked at the sight.

"Now, there's no advantage" she told them firmly, her eyes glinting. "I was worried. Going up against one of you two in the Grand Festival when you could mega evolve and I couldn't? But now… Now there's really no need to worry, and I can take you on no problems! So you better watch out for me!"

"I was already watching out for you" May laughed nervously, wrinkling her nose. "Well, I'm excited! I can't wait to see what you come up with. The more strong competition, the better, right Drew?"

"Right" Drew replied blandly, nodding as he gave Dawn a long look. Vividly, he remembered her battle against him in Sinnoh where he won narrowly thanks to a well-timed evolution with Drifblim. Unsurely, he wondered whether he would have still won if that hadn't happened. Dawn had a lot in common with May in the way she approached her battles, he realised. She battled emotively, and relied on the trust and love between herself and her Pokémon. It was exactly the kind of battle technique that complimented mega evolution beautifully. He could achieve mega evolution, and his bond with his Absol and all of his Pokémon was watertight. But they battled methodically, based on technique and strategy. It wasn't the same. It didn't always translate as well. He bit the inside of his cheek.

"So what's in Fallborough? There isn't a contest there for a while yet" May asked lightly, her arm looped around Dawn's. Dawn flushed a little, before giving a big laugh.

"Oh, I'm just going to train around Mt Chimney, you told me so much about it after all…" Dawn replied frostily, not looking at either of them, fully focused elsewhere. Drew gave May a puzzled glance, and May pursed her lips, thinking carefully.

"Oh, of course" May replied unevenly, biting her lip.

"You know," Drew ventured, a little apprehensive with his own words. "You never did tell me what you were doing around Veilstone last Christmas." Dawn froze, giving him a hard, furious glare, and May gave him a big grin.

"Veilstone, huh?" May let the words roll off her tongue. "What was in Veilstone?"

"No one, nothing, it's literally nothing" Dawn shot back, her eyes narrowing, and May raised an eyebrow, giving her a suspicious grin.

"No one, ey?" Grinning stupidly, May turned on Dawn ruthlessly, almost nose to nose with her. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Oh Arceus, it's so so dumb," Dawn was almost pleading, backing away nervously. "Please can you just not tell Ash about Veilstone?"

"Not tell… Ash?" May paused, frowning. "Dawn… what's going on?"

"I… it's…" She floundered uncomfortably, blushing a terrifically bright shade of red. "I really can't say right now. I promise I'll tell you when there's something to actually tell, okay? Just... it's got to stay quiet for right now, but it's really nothing bad or anything to worry about, I promise!"

"R-Right..." May gave her another odd look. "We're talking about this more at some point."

"Oh I bet we will" Dawn groaned, not pleased. "This is why I didn't want to say anything. Thanks a lot Drew, Mr, I catalogue every conversation and use people's personal information against them."

"Happy to help" Drew offered, snickering behind his hand. May had the strangest combination of concern and intrigue plastered all over her face.

"Right. Well I'm going" Dawn informed them coolly, trying to duck away. "I have a lot of training to do, and a lot of research on this mega evolution lark. You may have gotten a head start on all this, but I'm catching you up!"

"If you have any questions give me a call" May offered lightly, still a little dazed. "I spent a lot of time studying all this with Professor Sycamore. You can come talk to me about it whenever and I'll help as best I can!" The girls hugged messily, with giggles and sways and fond words. "I'll see you soon, right?"

"Duh!" Dawn nodded. "Thanks May! And Drew, it's always fun." Her voice turned teasing as she reached forward to ruffle his hair. He scowled at her pointedly. "Naw, look who got all sulky again! Grumpy." He allowed her to hug him, knowing it was the only way to finally have her take off, and nodded his goodbye, not feeling like speaking at that point. "Right. Later guys, have fun!" Dawn charged off without looking back, her hand raised up in a prolonged farewell, and May waved after her, calling out a long, sustained goodbye. As she rounded the corner and fell out of sight, she sighed a little, smiling.

"Dawn's so funny" May commented softly.

"She's something alright" Drew agreed sarcastically. May turned to him with a knowing, teasing grin.

"You like her" she accused, pressing a pointed finger into his chest. "You like her and you think she's nice and you enjoy her company, don't you? That's why you remembered Veilstone!"

"Absolutely not" Drew grunted, grabbing her pointed hand and twisting it away from him, choosing to hold it instead and lead her away. "I don't know where you get these ideas."

"You totally do!" May continued, laughing gleefully. "Hey, why deny it? Anyway, isn't it great? Now someone else will be mega evolving at the Grand Festival, it's going to be so intense!"

"Yeah" Drew paused, not feeling as excited. "It'll be great, May."

"Drew?" May began to frown, stopping him by stepping in front of him, keeping hold of his hand. "What's going on? You've been off since you got here. Is everything alright?"

"What? Everything is fine." He knew he was being defensive, but he also knew he could lead her into a new topic very easily if he wanted. "Honestly May, you need to stop overthinking. Is there a cafe or something around here? I'm exhausted from the trek down from Fortree, I could do with coffee."

"You could always do with coffee" she teased lightly, but didn't move from in front of him. "... You do seem off, Drew."

"Well, that will probably be mended by caffeine." Rolling his eyes, he squeezed her hand a little to dissuade her. Cautiously, she watched him a second longer, before turning on her heel and leading him forwards.

* * *

Although she'd just gorged herself at the food court with Dawn, she didn't need to tell Drew that, and figured she could probably score a second lunch if she played her cards right. Drew detested food courts, as a rule, so they ended up leaving the hub building of the city and finding a smaller, calmer cafe on the outskirts. Drew sat down, with a lot less energy than he'd anticipated, and May picked up their usual coffee order and a large slab of chocolate cake that she would offer to share and he would know instinctively not to touch.

May was quick to notice he was still a little quiet, but she hoped it really was just that he was tired. Travelling from Fortree was never a fun experience, and there were dark circles under his eyes. He kept yawning too, which bothered her. But she tried to fill the lulls in conversation with positive chatter, telling him about the contest in Verdanturf and then the second in Fallborough, and how excited she was to have two ribbons already, so early in the season. Her Altaria had performed beautifully against Kenny, and her little Shinx had performed wonderfully in his first contest, and it wasn't long until she knew Drew had completely clocked out of the conversation.

"So, er" she paused, worrying. "How was Fortree?"

"I lost" he shrugged. "In the finals. Harley got one over on me."

"You're kidding!" May inhaled sharply. "What happened?"

"His Cacturne is powerful," Drew kept his voice level and nonchalant. "I was using Absol, and I didn't want to rely on Mega Evolution to beat him, but in hindsight I probably should have. It happens - he's spent a long time training and he's really improved."

"And… you're okay with that?" May asked, slightly nervously. Drew scoffed.

"I'm not deeply wounded from losing to Harley, May" he told her firmly. "It's a loss. Everyone loses sometime, that's not anything to worry about."

"Drew, I'm getting worried" May admitted, reaching forwards for him again. "You really don't seem yourself. Please tell me that you'd be honest if something was bothering you?"

"May, this is ridiculous." Drew gave her a firm look. "I have nothing to tell you about. Now, you said you saw Marina? How was she?" He was deflecting, and she knew it, but she didn't know whether or not to push him just then. May gave him a slightly hurt look, and he felt a twinge in his chest somewhere that felt awful. "I'm fine, May. Stop looking at me like that."

"Marina was fine. D-Did you hear the rumour going around?" May finally asked, taking a mouthful of cake to distract herself. "About the Wallace Cup?"

"It's here in Hoenn this year, in Sootopolis, right?" Drew checked, and she nodded quickly, not looking at him.

"Right" she confirmed. "It's apparently going to be a different format though. They're switching it up a bit. Trying something new." May shrugged. "I don't know, it sounds interesting."

"Well if it's in the region I see no reason not to enter" Drew agreed, draining his coffee. "It should be interesting." His phone began to buss in his pocket, and he offered her an apologetic glance as he fished it out, but she waved him off with a smile, busying herself with the rest of the cake. It was his Dad. Drew paused before answering. "Hey, Dad. Everything alright?" May looked up, immediately interested. She'd never spoken to him about her brief interaction with his father in Sinnoh, and wasn't sure how he'd respond to it. "Uh huh. Yeah, sorry, I probably won't. Nothing personal, obviously." A slight suspicion began to run through May. It was getting to be around late Autumn, and soon, people would be making their holiday plans for while the contest season took a break. "Yeah, but tell them I send my best. Actually don't, they'd probably take it as an insult. Uh huh. Yeah. Alright. Bye." May looked at him with narrow, suspicious eyes, before shoving another big forkful of cake into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. As she swallowed, Drew began to feel apprehensive.

"What are you doing for Christmas?" She challenged him in a light, cheerful tone. Drew felt his blood run cold.

"... No, May." He gave her a stern look. "I'm not coming to Petalburg. You don't get to do that. Christmas is a sacred time, where I do not celebrate and I get ahead on my training. You do not get to take that away from me."

"Oh come on!" May pulled out her sulkiest pout. "You're clearly not going back to La Rousse, my Mom would love it, and considering how little we get to see each other…"

"Absolutely not" he reiterated, drumming his fingers against the table. "Max would challenge me to a battle every three seconds, I would get hounded by the locals for daring to be near the precious Princess of Petalburg, and I would spend the entire time wondering if your Dad liked me or whether actually, secretly, he wanted to kill me. I still suspect the latter."

"Well first of all, you're wrong about Dad. He weirdly likes you," she told him briskly, leaning back in her chair. "When he came to watch the Johto Festival he literally barely spoke to me about anything but you. It was all 'Oh Drew, he's such a talented coordinator'..." May pulled a face. "Which was weird. But yeah, no, Dad isn't really the kind of guy to be do the whole overprotective father thing. He'd more just mock me and try to make me uncomfortable about it."

"Well, fine." Drew wasn't convinced.

"And then, the whole Princess of Petalburg thing?" She scoffed. "Clutching at straws much? You're a Top Coordinator. First of all. Secondly, Petalburg locals aren't the kind to throw bricks at someone for dating the gym leader's daughter. I have no idea where that idea even came from, you're not usually the illogical type."

"May, you can stop now." It came out a little more pleading than he'd wanted. "Please."

"Max, he is so easy to shut up. You're talking to the person who has perfected the art of shutting Max up. It is so easy. All you need to do is ask him to find some obscure Pokémon fact for you that he doesn't know yet, so I recommend focusing on really out there stuff, like migration patterns of a family of Yanma or something." She finished her coffee with a wink. "He'll be so shocked that he doesn't know something he'll spend the next four hours studying it intensely."

"That's a useful hint." Drew's voice was weak.

"So now with all of those little problems there solved, I can only think your reason for not wanting to come to Petalburg over Christmas is to not spend time with me." May pulled out her biggest, saddest eyes. "Why don't you want to spend time with me, Drew? Aren't you… ready?"

"May…" Drew was out of excuses, and he knew she was stubborn and petty enough to drag this out as long as it took and throw as many lines and clichés as she could in the process. "Why are you so insistent?"

"Because I don't like the idea of you spending Christmas on your own" she told him gently, swapping tactics. "Christmas is supposed to be spent with people you love, and I love you." Drew felt his cheeks flame. It was the first time either of them had acknowledged that since watching Max at the Sinnoh League, and it was a low blow for her to use it against him like that.

"I, err…" he floundered, and May knew she had him cornered. "I… What am I supposed to get your parents?"

"I'll deal with that" May grinned, knowing she'd won. "I've already got them stuff. We can just say we picked it together!"

"Are they even going to be okay with this?" His voice wobbled a little, and May's eyebrows shot upwards.

"What?" She nearly laughed. "Drew my parents are the most laid back people in the world. And every time I talk to my Mom all she can ask about is when I'm bringing you back to visit. They'd be more than okay with it. Why are you so worried?"

"I'm not" he cut her off defensively. May paused, before leaning towards him a little.

"Whatever it is bugging you," she told him softly, in a low, delicate voice he didn't know she had. "Whatever it is. Firstly, you can tell me and it's going to be ten times less of a big deal than you think it is in your head. And secondly, it's not going to mean I start prying into things you want to deal with yourself if you don't want me to be involved. It's just going to mean I know where your head is and what you need from me."

"There really isn't…" Drew's voice drifted off as he met her eyes. They were focused on him in an intense, but incredibly soft way that made him suddenly feel really foolish. "It's nothing big, alright."

"Then it's no big deal!" May chimed, pleased. "What's on your mind?"

"Harley said something dumb after the contest, and I haven't been able to shake it. And then Dawn getting that keystone. And er…" he paused, suddenly feeling really, really uncomfortable.

"Your mom" May filled in gently. He looked firmly at the floor. "You feel weird about losing to Harley, Dawn is getting to be really strong competition this year, and your mom hasn't gotten in touch to apologise."

"It proves me right," he muttered harshly. "I was never particularly important to her, so I won't let it be important to me."

"You know, that kind of thing is going to have a big effect on you" May reassured him quickly. "That's okay. I don't think I can think of one person who hasn't had a big part of who they are moulded by the influence of their parents. Dawn is coordinating because her Mom was a top coordinator and she wants to live up to that. You remember Ash? His Dad disappeared when he was young, saying he wanted to be a Pokémon Master, and died on the road. And Brock? He always wanted to be a breeder but put it off for years and years to take care of his siblings while his parents were absent, they abandoned them for years. But it made Brock this really caring, self sacrificing person and it's part of who he is. Hell, I don't think I'd even have picked up Torchic if it weren't for trying to prove my Dad wrong about me. I would have just taken off and explored on my own." Drew looked at her with a funny smile, glad that she had. "Parents influence a big part of how you see yourself. That's totally normal. So it's okay to admit that all of this is really bothering you."

"It's not bothering me, per say…" Drew frowned, but May shook her head.

"You literally just made a bitter comment about how you were never important to her" May corrected him swiftly. Drew closed his mouth. "Where is all of this leading you? The loss, the competition, your mother… what are you thinking?"

"I'm wondering if I should even be coordinating any more" Drew admitted briskly. May recoiled. The two of them sat in a pregnant silence, absorbing his words. It was the first time he'd verbalised it, and it took him back a little. "Honestly, I think I peaked. And that's fine, I did what I set out to do and I became a Top Coordinator. But now I see a lot of people, including you, continuing to adapt and change and grow. And I can't seem to do that."

"Drew…" May's voice wavered a little. She swallowed. "Everyone has a bad run now and then. But you're one of the most talented coordinators I know. In fact, I don't think I know anyone who works harder, and has a more natural skill for this. I think you're being too hard on yourself after a stressful year."

"I don't know. I think Harley might have said something accurate for once," Drew shrugged, not looking too phased anymore. "I think I've peaked. My coordinating has plateaued since Johto. I have nowhere left to grow to. It had to happen at some point."

"This is ridiculous" May frowned, sitting back and folding her arms. "Do you remember telling me off for being so down about my coordinating in Johto? What did you tell me to do? Change things up!" Drew looked at her with a flinch. "I don't know what you're pulling, but being self pitying and defeatist is not my Drew. My Drew would have laughed in Harley's face, and would be looking at this problem and finding a way to overcome it." Drew hesitated, a little thrown by her wording towards him. "Find a new angle. Never be afraid to find another angle. My Dad said that to me once. I think he was talking about battling, but it applies here too."

"Are you telling me to disappear to Kalos for a year?" Drew replied sarcastically, and May quietened, looking down at her lap.

"No," She paused. "If you want to do that, or something else, I'd understand, obviously. But I just mean that you need a different perspective. You're an amazing coordinator and you're nineteen years old. There's so much time left for you to grow and I hate the thought of you throwing that away. This isn't who you are." Drew watched her face for a moment, a little reserved, looking at the way her glasses were slipping down her nose a little and her eyes focused intently in her lap.

"When are we going to Petalburg then?" He drawled. She looked up sharply. "I mean, I need some kind of idea of when we're going so I can rearrange my contest schedules. I should be able to get in a couple of contests before then."

"The season breaks off on the eighteenth of December, right?" May's voice wobbled as she spoke, not sure where they stood in that moment. "So, um, around then?"

"Alright" he nodded. May watched him carefully, and he smiled at her. "It'll be nice."

* * *

 **Christmas**

* * *

Since Mauville, May and Drew hadn't crossed paths again. He had been training hard, from what he told her on the phone, and she'd kept up to date with his contest battling by following the online blogs religiously. Commentators had picked up that he wasn't at his best, but he was still winning contests, so she supposed that would be enough to keep him going strong for now. When she'd told her parents he was coming with her for Christmas they'd been thrilled; Caroline immediately began to quiz her on what sort of things Drew liked that they could use for gift ideas, and Norman began making it clear that the spare room was always available for Drew. The spare room was useful like that. He was so glad that they had the foresight to turn the extra room into a guest bedroom. It was the perfect place for Drew to be. May cut him off eventually, making it clear she understood the concept of Drew staying in a different room to her.

They reunited somewhere north of Petalburg Woods, south of Rustboro. Drew had picked up his second ribbon there; May had been a little too late to get to that contest after training at Mt Chimney for a while, but she'd been able to catch the end of the contest and watch as Houndoom trialled his new Mega Evolution for the final, blowing everyone away in the way she knew only Drew really could. He could be a showman, when he wanted to be, although he preferred to excel in his technical coordinating skills, following clever, self-written rules about what moves paired well together and how to create conventionally beautiful displays.

The walk down through Petalburg Woods together felt fun and intimate to May. They hadn't spent much time together since getting to Hoenn, bar their meeting in Mauville, and she'd missed him after spending their summer months around each other constantly, floating around Sinnoh in a little happy bubble before the new season had begun to strain it. Drew still looked tired when she saw him, and he didn't have the excuse of travelling from Fortree to cover his tracks. She wondered if he was getting any sleep at all, because he certainly didn't look like he was.

Winter had crept up, as it always did in Hoenn. It was a typically hot region, even in spring and autumn, so the winters were mild and if anything, a little windy. The only part of Hoenn that ever saw a chance of snow or icy temperatures was towards Mossdeep and Shoal Cave, which was where you started to hit the oceans that lead towards Sinnoh, well to the north. Regardless, May still felt it appropriate to complain about how much colder it all was, and Drew felt it appropriate to ignore her.

When they got to Petalburg, the sun had already mostly set. It was early evening and the sky was clearly about to sink into a sudden, drastic change in light. May didn't bother knocking, which was understandable, but Drew would have preferred it if she had. Drew was surprised by how traditional her home was. Instinctively, May took off her shoes, so he did the same.

"Mom! Dad!" She called, looking around with a quiet huff. "We're here!"

"May!" Caroline was the first to appear, poking her head out from around a woven, bamboo wall. She rushed forward, embracing her daughter warmly. "I was beginning to think you had gotten lost! Hello Drew, it's so lovely you're joining us!" She continued to gush, turning to Drew with an unstoppable force, crushing him in a similar hug before he could protest. May stifled a laugh at the sight.

"T-Thank you for having me" he replied politely, a little taken back.

"Of course! You're always welcome!" Caroline insisted. "Max and your father are in the gym, May. Max got here yesterday and immediately started in on him, begging him for some practice matches." Drew gave May a pointed look, and May rolled her eyes. "He's so determined, that boy, a complete one track mind."

"He'll grow out of it" May replied confidently. "Let's go watch! I want to see Max get creamed."

"He beat your father last time they battled," Caroline reminded her fondly. "In fact, I think both of you could beat him now. It's not something that sits well with your Dad."

"I think it's really funny, personally" May sang, brightening at the idea. "Shall we go?" Caroline nodded along, and Drew was claimed indifference as always, so they pottered across together, the tatami soft under their feet.

When they arrived in the gym, the battle was in full swing. Max was using an Umbreon against Norman's Slaking, and with Umbreon's high defence and Slaking's slow movement, it seemed to be dragging the battle out. Umbreon was firing off a particularly effective toxic, and following it up with iron tail, and Slaking was being overwhelmed.

"Max!" May cheered. "You got an Umbreon!"

"Only the best for my team," Max bragged happily. Norman's fist was clenched.

"Slaking, break through with facade!" He called out, and the poisoned Pokémon struck back at Max with unexpected power. "Come on son, you know better than to rely on status ailments with me."

"We're just warming up!" Max countered petulantly, checking Umbreon was alright. "Umbreon, come back with dark pulse!"

While they brawled, Caroline chatted away to May about how typical all of this was and how it had been like that since he'd gotten back yesterday, not stopping for breath after telling them all about Johto and how much he loved it and all of his lovely badges and how wonderfully he was doing. It made her proud as a mother, but it gave her a headache as a fellow human being. Her sly commentary made Drew laugh, and he realised he liked Caroline quite a lot. She had that same gushing energy that May had, and total generosity and love for her family, but a dry wit ran underneath it that he could get along with quite well. Caroline asked after their contests. May showed off her three ribbons and Drew his two. They caught up on anything that had happened during their journeys, hearing some things they hadn't yet caught up on themselves, like Drew catching Brendan at some point, or May bumping into Solidad around Mt Chimney. They looked up to check on the battle now and again, but it was turning into a long winded slugfest and neither side really seemed like it would give way, until eventually Umbreon fell prey to a particularly strong focus punch and was finally knocked out.

"Ah man!" Max scooped up his Pokémon carefully, tending to her injuries cautiously. "You were so great Umbreon! You take a long rest, okay?" He returned the quadruped a little sadly.

"You're relying too much on high defence again, Max" Norman critiqued quickly. "Normally, a toxic and high defence combination would work really well, but you have to remember the Pokémon you're facing. You should know better than anyone getting poisoned helps my Slaking along more than it hinders him."

"You're right, I know, I know" Max ducked away, a little embarrassed. "Next time."

"I'm sure" Norman smiled, ruffling his son's hair. "Now, May!"

"Dad!" May grinned, jumping to her feet and running into him furiously, solidly wrapping her arms around him. Norman looked a little winded for a moment, but laughed and picked her up for a moment, spinning her around. "Slaking was awesome!"

"Thanks, kid." Norman pulled back from his daughter, checking her over quickly with a smile. "Ribbon count?"

"Three!" She beamed.

"Atta girl" he praised, his hands on her shoulders. "Drew, it's good to see you again!"

"You too, Norman" Drew greeted, immediately a little more uncomfortable. He was definitely not blind to the influence Norman had on May, and how incredibly important to her he was. She had admitted it herself when they were in Mauville. Something about their relationship left him on edge, like he needed to distinctively impress him in some way, even though he knew very well that he had no need to do anything like that. "Thanks for having me."

"Drew!" Max was very vocal about how pleased he was to see him. "What did you think of my Umbreon? I caught her around Ecruteak and we trained really hard to learn dark pulse, just like your Houndoom!" Drew felt his ears heat up, always a little embarrassed at how openly and brazenly Max would admit how much he took from Drew's battles.

"Umbreon looks great, Max" Drew replied honestly, although subdued. "Really tough."

"Nice to see you too, Max" May pouted, leaning on her brother's shoulder. Max had grown a lot since she'd seen him last. "You've gone through a growth spurt or two, huh?"

"Hi May" Max greeted, snickering as he noted how she was now shorter than him. "Guess you can't hold things out of my reach anymore, huh?"

"You're forgetting I have a Blaziken that can kick your butt, though" May countered quickly, sticking her tongue out at him childishly. "How tall are you now, anyway?"

"Five foot ten or eleven," Max shrugged. "Something like that." Drew felt his blood run cold, but he chose not to mention it.

* * *

The holiday season seemed somewhat new to Drew. The last time he'd celebrated Christmas properly he'd been around nine, and it had been spent being half pushed towards his Grandparents house, sitting politely while his father played some strange card game with his grandfather and his grandmother would knit and speak at him about the things his father did when he was younger. Small gifts would be exchanged, they'd share a meal, and then his father would take him home.

In the Maple Household, this was not how things were done.

The day before, May and Caroline spent a long time rummaging through their storage space for something, and eventually found an old cardboard box that had been tucked into the very back of the cupboard. Max explained to him they were getting stockings out, and when he was left a little confused, Norman explained a little better. While in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh, Christmas wasn't the most highly celebrated of holidays (they more tended to focus on New Year's), Unova was obsessed with it. Caroline's family came from Unova, though they had moved to Johto for May's grandfather's work when Caroline was very young. But they maintained their elaborate Christmas traditions, and Norman was powerless to stop her when the time of year rolled around. May was just as excitable over the traditions, and though Max tried to pretend he was far too grown up now to entertain it, when his mother squeezed his cheeks and told him it was his job, as ever, to set everything up for Santa, he blushed pink and promised he'd do his best.

"The youngest in the family rolls out these stockings" May told Drew through a laugh, while Max wrestled with oversized, novelty red socks. "And leaves out treats for Father Christmas and his Stantler. We all obviously know it's a big ruse, but Mom insists we all have to believe it's real or else he won't come. She gets up at like two in the morning every year and fills them all up with little silly joke presents, and then eats all the snacks Max left out as her own little reward, and then in the morning we all open everything together."

"So you don't just… exchange your gifts? You lay them out in these stockings at the dead of night?" Drew deadpanned. "And you make believe some mythical man and his Stantler did it for you."

"Oh, we exchange our own gifts," May amended, snickering at his baffled expression. "These aren't from anyone, technically. We exchange personal gifts after we all have a big meal together."

Drew watched in disbelief as Max rolled out a fifth stocking, and Caroline watched over authoritively. Max was running around frantically, eager for everything to match his mother's standards. Norman had (badly) made cookies under her instruction, and Max lay them out neatly.

"What drink will Santa want this year, Mom?" He checked quickly. Caroline hummed, thoughtfully.

"I believe a sweet sherry would be a nice way of thanking him" she told him brightly. Max nodded, getting to work.

* * *

It was a strange bubble of family and love and warmth and Christmas lights. Food was everywhere Drew looked. Parcels were everywhere - even though there were stockings to be filled Caroline had bought huge piles of presents to shower on her children, and on him as well. It made him apprehensive; he'd never received this kind of fuss before and he felt guilty, as though she'd felt obliged after May dragged him there with her. He'd not anticipated the enthusiasm with which her family celebrated, although he supposed he should have figured it out a long time before. They seemed oblivious to his discomfort though, insisting he eat more, or asked him more about his Christmases in La Rousse which he would awkwardly avoid talking about, or ask about the next part of the contest season. May's family seemed genuinely interested in what he was doing next, where he'd be travelling, what he wanted to do in the future and the things he'd done in the past, and it was hard to swallow such a sudden enveloping in kindness. May watched him carefully, knowing him well enough to know where his thoughts were, and spent a lot of time smiling at how surprised he was by it all. Finally, laid back in the bed of the spare room, he relaxed. It was hard not to, here. It was hard not to feel welcome and included.

During the actual festivities of Christmas - he'd been overwhelmed by the generosity of May's parents, and Caroline had insisted anyone who was in their house over Christmas got a stocking, because that was just how it worked - May noticed the slight shift in his attitude towards things, as he teased Max a little more freely and spoke to her parents a little less hesitantly, and it filled her with a weird warmth she wasn't quite sure how to place. Once all the food they could manage to eat had been eaten, and gifts had all been exchanged, May and Max were fighting over something trivial upstairs - which according to Norman happened around this time every year and they wore themselves out eventually. Caroline was resting peacefully, always asleep early that day, always filled with a sleepy satisfaction that her work had created another warm, full Christmas for her family, which left Norman and Drew.

"I bet Caroline hated not having May back last year," Drew commented lightly. They could hear a brief outline of the siblings arguing upstairs (it had something to do with ice skating, but neither Drew nor Norman could tell you any more than that).

"Yeah, it was a slightly quieter affair" Norman agreed. "It's all a bit over the top, but Caroline adores it. It's the one time of year she really gets invested in, so it's easier to indulge her."

"It's nice" Drew told him sincerely. "I can't imagine my family ever doing anything like this."

"Yeah, May said something like that" Norman admitted, a little reluctantly, Drew looked to Norman a little sharper than he'd intended. "Now I don't want to overstep any marks, but I know you've had some trouble with your family."

"It's nothing that's a problem anymore" Drew assured him stiffly, incredibly uncomfortable. Norman shook him off quickly.

"All I mean to say, is that you're always very welcome here" Norman told him gruffly. "You've been good for May, so you get a free pass. May didn't tell us much. When she told us she was bringing you for Christmas, Caroline asked her why you didn't celebrate with your own family, and she gave what I imagine was a very cut down version. Anyway, Caroline became very upset. She gets like that around Christmas." Norman gave a short laugh, punctuating his words. "And she wants you to feel like you can come here. As do I." There was a quiet pause between the two of them, interrupted only by May shouting upstairs something to do with a baseball cap.

"I'd like to battle you," Drew finally spoke. "If that's alright. After watching Max battle you and something May said a while back, I've been wondering."

"Alright," Norman agreed, smiling to himself. "This isn't some weird, alpha, winning my daughter from me crap though, is it?" Drew scoffed.

"Like she'd ever let someone get away with that." He laughed. "No, she said something like you told her to look for a new angle, while battling, or something. And then Max clearly learns a lot from battling you. So I'd like to give it a try."

"Excellent," Norman agreed. "I like your style. We'll battle tomorrow, when May and Max calm down. I imagine they'll want to watch."

* * *

Caroline and Max had been surprised when Norman and Drew had explained their battle plans, but none more so than May. As the two squared off in the gym, with Norman explaining the three on three rules of the gym, she hardened herself a little. It wasn't clear to her who would win this battle, at all. Her father was a terrifyingly powerful battler, but Drew was smart and sly with his moves, and used flare to distract while he hit big. Neither were used to the other's battle style and it threw her that she couldn't see a clear advantage either way.

Her father started off with Vigoroth, and Drew sent out Houndoom. May didn't know his Houndoom particularly well, of all of Drew's Pokémon, it seemed the most aloof and kept herself distant. But she was a powerful, powerful battler, and that was really needed against a speedy, strong Pokémon like Vigoroth. May bit her lip. Max had offered to officiate, so he stood in the middle with his arms raised, ready to call the battle.

"This is a three on three battle between Gym Leader Norman Maple, of Petalburg" he announced, "and Top Coordinator and full time weenie, Drew Hayden of La Rousse."

"I hate you so much" Drew groaned.

"Battle begin!"

"Houndoom, start off with nasty plot and stay on the defensive," Drew called quickly.

"Vigoroth, don't give him time" Norman countered. "Get in close with slash!"

"Evade!" The coordinator shot back. The two fast, brutally strong Pokémon began to dance around each other, Vigoroth occasionally getting in close enough and landing a decent hit or two, but Houndoom stacking up serious stat boosts that left Norman a little concerned.

"Vigoroth, use encore" Norman finally conceded. Drew grunted, frustrated. He couldn't attack until it had worn off, but at least he could keep stacking his stats while he rode it out. Houndoom wasn't brilliant defensively, though, and if Vigoroth landed a big enough hit this would be over before Houndoom could even think about attacking. "Good - now follow up with feint attack!"

Vigoroth appeared behind Houndoom when she wasn't looking and threw her back, leaving her to grunt in irritation. It wasn't an effective move, but it hurt her pride a little that she couldn't fight back just yet.

"Ride it out, Houndoom" Drew offered lamely. "Keep stacking those nasty plots, we'll one shot it by the end of this."

"Not if I don't give you the chance," Norman grinned. "Vigoroth, sky uppercut!" Drew pulled a face. Houndoom was sent flying backwards, howling in a surprised, angry pain. There was a loud thud as she hit the ground, but she managed to drag her paws back underneath herself, fuelled by determination and grit. Drew praised her gently, nodding. Houndoom let off a snort of fire, nodding back, and Drew turned to Norman, relaxed.

"Finally," he grinned. "Houndoom, flamethrower!" The burst of fire that came forward was the most powerful Norman had ever seen, after what seemed like dozens of stat boosts had been used. It engulfed his Vigoroth and left him steaming, completely knocked flat on his back and unconscious from the terrifying display of power.

"Vigoroth is unable to battle!" Max declared, though a little unsurely.

"Not bad, you lucked out a bit with that encore wearing off so early though," Norman reminded Drew with a smile. "Alright. Next up - Linoone!"

"Linoone?" May frowned, baffled. "Dad you never use Linoone in battles anymore."

"We've been training hard," Norman reassured her with a nod. May shrugged, and sent Drew a warning glance. "Linoone was my first Pokémon that I caught in Hoenn. Originally, it was a troublesome Zigzagoon that kept rooting through our bins and frightening May."

"I wasn't scared!" May protested grumpily, and Caroline made a sympathetic cooing noise that made it all so much worse, squeezing her daughter to her chest. "H-Hey!"

"Relax, May, I don't have time to mock you now" Drew snickered. "Well, let's see what you can do. Houndoom, dark pulse!"

"Dig" Norman replied calmly. Linoone was underground before Houndoom could let any energy off, and was happily tunnelling underneath them. Drew paused, waiting.

"Houndoom stay alert, try and feel for the tremors in the ground to get a sense of where he is" Drew instructed, but Houndoom was still exhausted from that nasty sky uppercut against Vigoroth, and was struggling to make big moves. When Linoone resurfaced, it was a direct hit, and knocked Houndoom out without much of a scene. Drew recalled her, exhaling shortly. Max made the declaration she was unable to battle, and the coordinator sighed. "She was tired. Not much I could do."

"Nope," Norman nodded. "Next."

Drew sent out his Flygon next, thinking the ability to fly and the dual ground type would give him cover from more underground attacks. But this Linoone was unlike any Pokémon he'd ever faced before in his insistence - it wasn't long until Norman had him attached to Flygon's back, practically steering him as they flew around the ceiling of the gym, preventing the dragon type from doing anything while Linoone landed fury swipe after fury swipe. Flygon was getting slowly worn down, and Drew couldn't think how to counter it. None of Flygon's attacks could be shot over his back and Linoone's grip was too powerful.

"Drew…" May sighed, leaning forward. His batting was a little weaker than she remembered, which she'd expected after their talk in Mauville, but it pained her to see him struggle like this. It would be another blow to his confidence if he lost badly, and she worried what that meant for the long term. "Drew, think about it. What do you need to do?" Drew glanced at her with a grimace, focused hard on his Flygon. What did he need to do?

"Find another angle" he muttered to himself. If he couldn't get Linoone off, he had to make use of that somehow. "... Flygon, barrel roll. Every show off trick you have, use it. Get that Linoone dizzy!" Eager to follow the instruction, Flygon began to spiral, and dip and pull back. Linoone stopped attacking, too busy trying to hold on tightly, but ended up shaken and thrown off by a particularly intense spiral that sent the rushing Pokémon crashing to the ground. Norman grunted, displeased.

"Not bad," Norman told him reluctantly. "Alright. Linoone, get back in there with a headbutt!" Linoone was confused though, disorientated from the spinning and the crash. It was unsteady on his feet, and Drew saw his opportunity.

"Flygon, steel wing!" He called quickly. Flygon flapped it's impressive, sharp wings, and they began to glow as he charged towards the dizzy Linoone forcefully. Linoone looked up and around, trying to focus, and jumped up in a moment of perfect timing, landing a powerful headbutt into Flygon's guts. "What? No way!"

"Flygon is unable to battle" Max declared, a little keenly. "Linoone wins!"

"I'm known as the master of normal type Pokémon for a reason, Drew" Norman reminded him with a grin. "One of the most common tactics for taking out a powerful normal type, when your opponent struggles to find type advantages, is to use lots of status conditions or to confuse them. I've trained my Pokémon carefully for every one of those scenarios, and they excel under that kind of handicap. You remember my battle with Max, where he used toxic?"

"I remember," Drew gritted his teeth together, recalling Flygon. "That Linoone is incredible. I can almost understand why you would be so traumatised, May."

"I wasn't scared!" May reiterated, whining.

"Alright. Roserade, you're up!" Drew had known from the beginning he'd end with Roserade, and if there was any of his Pokémon that could take out two of Norman's, he knew he could count on her. The plant Pokémon turned to him with a stern nod, just as worried for the outcome as he was.

"Linoone, get straight in there with a headbutt" Norman ordered quickly. The sleek, tan Pokémon darted towards them swiftly, gaining power with every step.

"Roserade, petal dance and send it back" Drew countered quickly. "Keep your guard up." Norman arched an eyebrow, but watched quietly as Linoone got pushed away by the flurry of pink florals, spiralling prettily around the field. Roserade used them to create a shield of sorts, one that if Linoone attacked physically, would mean colliding with another layer of the attack before getting anywhere. Norman whistled, appreciative.

"Nice," he nodded. "But you're forgetting something. Dig." Drew nearly kicked himself; as much as Linoone was only a physical attacker and barriers like that should have been enough, he should have remembered the Pokémon's moveset and the way Norman seemed to know how to counter for every weakness a normal type naturally had.

"Roserade, charge up a solar beam" Drew ordered gruffly. "And fire it straight down." Norman flinched. Roserade never took long to charge up, and before Linoone could get close enough to attack, Roserade was propelled upwards by the power of its attack, breaking apart the gym floor in a blinding beam of light, and Linoone was trapped by the crumbling floors, squealing as it was caged in by the debris. "Follow up with magical leaf as you descend!" Drew followed up quickly. Roserade began to pirouette through the air, surrounded by sharp, pin like leaves coloured in dark greens, greys and purples. They fired down like arrows, giving Roserade a cushion as she landed but also finding their way to Linoone effortlessly.

"It never misses." May smiled, remembering him using that magical leaf against her one of the first times they met.

"Linoone is unable to battle" Max cried, taken back by the state of the gym. "Both of you are down to your last Pokémon!"

"Now it's getting interesting." Norman gritted his teeth a little as he threw up his last pokeball. "Slaking, let's go!"

Drew had learnt from watching Norman battle with Max it was best to work slowly and methodically in taking him down. He'd never instructed Roserade to retract her poison point before, but this time he did. Slaking wasn't the most mobile of Pokémon, but he was a real slugger, so Drew took the time to set up his usual petal dance guard and have Roserade a little better protected. He knew though, that with Slaking's staying power, it wouldn't deter big physical attacks that much. Mostly, they worked on the evasive, sending off magical leaf to try and whittle down the huge Pokémon. Norman seemed amused.

"Is this how you would battle in a contest?" The gym leader asked lightly. Drew winced.

"I don't tend to come up against Slakings in contest battles" he retorted darkly.

"Try hitting me with some of your contest combinations. Stop battling me as a trainer," Norman chastised, shrugging. Drew paused, surprised. "You're not a battler. You're a coordinator. And your Roserade works best under that rule, I could see that with Linoone. Think about how you're approaching this." Norman's words gave Drew pause. It was difficult to think he could pull of a performance based attack style while also keeping his guard up against Slaking and taking down its HP. It was too powerful and sluggish a Pokémon to pull something like that off. Drew looked around the field, trying to find something he could use. Norman looked a little disappointed. "Slaking, flamethrower." Drew recoiled suddenly. Up until that point, the only move Slaking had used was body slam, so a lot of his moveset was unknown to him, but he hadn't been expecting that. The fiery blast scorched through Roserade's petals, leaving them lingering in the air as they began to fade away. May pursed her lips.

"I've seen that before," she reminded Drew lightly. Drew hardened.

"Roserade, jump up to those burning petals," he ordered quickly. "Use magical leaf and turn. Mix them together." Roserade didn't have the power to blow them back or use psychic in the same way his Butterfree did, but he still had the ability to return them along with a different projectile attack. Mixed with magical leaf, he knew they'd reach their target. Norman paused, watching as flickering embers, burning foliage and the smell of smoke barraged his Pokémon, doing a lot more damage than he'd anticipated.

"That's much better" Norman encouraged. "But not enough. Slaking, follow up with shadow ball!"

"Roserade, knock it back!" Drew's face was knitted in concentration. He'd been expecting Roserade to fire off a petal dance or something to collide with it and return it, or at the least destroy it, but instead she jumped to meet it and caught it in the bouquets she called arms, vines folding over it, and she swung around to throw it back, completely surprising everyone.

"Grass knot!" Max exclaimed. "I remember Gardenia's Roserade used it against me. It's where a Pokémon uses the other Pokémon's weight against them, using it to grab them and throw them down. I've never seen it used like _that_ before though!"

"Roserade, you're brilliant" Drew praised, almost breathless with how perfect her timing was. "Get in close and throw that Slaking down!" Roserade leapt up high, landing behind Slaking with a devious grin, her vines tangling around Slakings limbs and lifting the lazy Pokémon so it was suspended above her.

"No way" Norman stopped to look. He'd never seen his Pokémon suspended like that before.

"Combine it with a petal dance" Drew called, wondering if his little test would work, but he had no reason to worry as Slaking was thrown into the air by the small flower Pokémon and caught immediately in a cyclone current of petal dance, knocking the wind out of him as he landed harshly on the ground. "This is over!"

"Not quite," Norman arched an eyebrow. "Slaking, now!" The giant Pokémon reached out from its nearly comatose state, grabbing hold of the smaller Pokémon in its fist.

"What?" Drew stepped back a little, nervous.

"Flamethrower, close range!" Norman folded his arms, confident it was going to end in his favour, as Slaking sent off a fiery blast from short range that sent Roserade flying backwards across the room, slamming solidly into the wall behind Drew, scorched and crisp. There was a pause, where Drew just stared speechlessly at his unconscious Pokémon, unmoving.

"Roserade is… unable to battle." Even Max was surprised at the sudden brute attack. "Dad wins."

"Roserade," Drew was by the Pokémon's side the moment the shock left his system. "You were incredible," he scooped her into his arms, where she blinked wearily and coughed slightly.

"I… I haven't seen Roserade lose to anyone other than Robert before," May admitted gently, as surprised as anyone. "And… well that was years and years ago."

"She's fine," Drew assured her, returning his closest friend to her pokeball. "She just needs a rest. I've never seen a close range flamethrower pulled off like that, though. Pretty brutal. It was almost like you were waiting for the opportunity."

"I was," Norman admitted, smiling. "You see, the thing that always bothers me about contest battling is the reliance on flashy, empty moves. And you get points for that, which is fine, and so it needs to be a big part of it. But at the end of the day…"

"A knockout is a knockout" Drew nodded, understanding. "As much as Roserade's moveset would have cut your points down, they wouldn't have taken out your Slaking. If we'd have been in a contest hall, you'd have won, not because of the appeal, but because you would have ended it."

"Exactly" Norman agreed. "You need to work on a more rounded defence, rather than just a pretty one. And you need to get more power into your moves. Other than that, I think you're an exceptional battler, when you play to your strengths."

"Thank you." Drew paused. "I'm intrigued as to your battle style. It was hard to predict, and you always seemed to find an unexpected way around things."

"When I was a trainer, early on, I relied on luck a lot" Norman admitted sheepishly. "I'd use risky moves and go on a hunch. It sometimes ended badly, and I'd end up losing big time. But then I'd also sometimes find something that worked, and then I'd remember it and have a new staple way of working around that problem. Risks and trying new things and new angles is how you build a comprehensive counter strategy, whether offensive or defensive."

"I'll remember that." Drew felt like he'd absorbed a lot from the battle, a lot more than he'd anticipated. The way Norman described his battle style as a younger trainer reminded him of May's start, in a way, with her Skitty using assist and her Munchlax using metronome. "I appreciate this."

"Dad, that final flamethrower," Max appeared between them, his hands knotted together. "It was amazing! It was inspiring! Ah man, I got so pumped up just watching you guys it was so intense!"

"Max, remember not everyone has the same personal space requirements as you," Caroline chastised gently as Max wrapped his arms around both Norman and Drew at once, babbling about how cool that grass knot was, and how awesome Linoone in particular had battled. May watched the interactions with a small, content smile. She'd never expected Drew to search out her father for advice on picking himself back up in battling, but she supposed he was doing what she'd suggested in a way, and finding a new angle to approach things with. It filled her with a warm, happy feeling, watching Caroline dusting herself off and heading over to fuss, pulling Max away pointedly, only to begin brushing some dust that had blown up from the destruction of the field with Roserade's solarbeam off Drew's jacket, telling him how she could wash everything for him and have it clean by tomorrow, if he just left it in the hamper in the hall.

* * *

"So where are you headed next?" May asked softly.

They only had one day left in Petalburg, but as Max was leaving before them, she and Drew had left him to have some time alone with his parents and for Caroline to fuss him in private for a while first. Johto was far away, and May knew her parents probably wouldn't make it to his league battles again that year. So they were alone for what felt like the first time since they'd arrived, laying back on May's childhood bed. It was a strange experience for Drew, to be surrounded so completely by everything he could have ever pictured being in May's bedroom as a child. There were posters on every wall, mainly, a big world map with pins that detailed all the big cities May wanted to explore, and snapshots tacked on next to the ones she'd been to, that she imagined she'd taken herself. He recognised the one from Goldenrod, and remembered her taking it on the day she'd dragged him shopping with her. She didn't really have that many old toys lying around, like he'd thought she might, but he supposed Pokémon Plushes wouldn't be popular with a little girl who hated Pokémon, so why would she have ever had them? Shelves were brimming, though, with all sorts of trinkets. He'd pegged her as a hoarder, but it was on another level. Alongside them were thick, intricate looking books that he thought must be collector's editions of children's stories, with fairy tales and old myths and legends that her parents must have read to her when she was little.

The walls were covered in pictures, some framed, and some simply stuck with tack. They looked like they were from every stage of her life, with every friend she'd ever made. There were baby pictures of her and Max, older ones with school friends and her parents, an elderly figure he decided must have been a grandmother of some nature he'd never heard of, pictures with Ash, and Brock, and some girl with ginger hair he didn't know. There was one with Dawn, and a strikingly tall girl he decided from what he knew must be Zoey. There was one with Harley, Marina and Solidad that looked like it was taken at the Grand Festival in Johto, before May's semi-final against the Johto native, and their falling out. There were more - a picture with Brianna, a picture with Brendan, a picture with that face, and that person, and someone else. He recognised a few, but not all of them. A lot must have been from Kalos, he thought to himself, almost with a twinge in his chest. There were so many things she must have seen and discovered that he would never be a part of.

But there were also pictures of him, too. Pictures from their early rivalry - he placed the first one as a picture from Mirage Island, when he wasn't looking. It might have been meant to be a picture that he'd gotten in the way of, aimed at the Wynaut, as they looked like they were everywhere in the background, and it was shot at the back of his head. Another looked like it was from the Kanto Grand Festival, and was a little more intentional. He remembered that one - she'd grabbed his arm and told him firmly she needed to take this picture of them together, and he'd been rude and sneery towards her but let her take it anyway. He was scowling at her and she was grinning in a big, awkward laugh. It must have been for this purpose, to go on her bedroom wall as part of her montage of friends - and if he'd known he wouldn't have scowled so much, he thought. But it was okay, there were pictures that made up for it. Like one from the Kanto Grand Festival, after their match, one that Solidad took when they weren't looking and they were just talking to each other, hands reached forward to each other and clasped in a show of solidarity after she'd beaten him. Or one from Fennel Valley, which she'd taken of him when they were looking out over the sunset and he'd laughed at her for being sentimental at the end of her journey in Kanto. Or one of them together in Blackthorn, out with Solidad after her final ribbon win, or one of them from the Johto Grand Festival, looking around stalls in Whirl Islands with Robert, or ones of them in Sinnoh together, by lakes, in valleys, in forests, everywhere in this montage was littered with memories they'd shared. It left a lump in his throat.

"Well, the Wallace Cup is coming up" Drew replied, measuredly. He yawned behind his hand. "It's time I faced a ferry. There's a contest in Pacifidlog that I'm going to on the way, so I'm getting a boat from Slateport. How about you?"

"Similar, but Lilycove" May smiled, her head lolled against his shoulder. Her bed was small, just a single bed, but they could fit on it side by side quite snugly. She'd always been one for comfort, so there were endless thick, plush cushions around them that they could sink into, and soft, furry blankets underneath them that were welcoming and warm. "It should take me about two weeks to get there, then there's a contest the week after, and then a ship out to Sootopolis just in time for the cup!"

"Presuming you win in Lilycove," Drew paused. "The Wallace Cup could conceivably be your fifth ribbon. You've raced through this season."

"I might not win either of them," May shrugged, nestling her head further into his shoulder. "I know Solidad is going, and Dawn too! There's no way it'll be easy. Plus, Dawn told me Zoey is coming to the Wallace Cup from Kanto this year - and she's crazy strong too. Another Top Coordinator."

"Because we need more powerful rivals" Drew snorted. "As if we didn't have enough."

"It's just inspiration to grow stronger" May reminded him gently. He gave out a breath of a laugh, and kissed the top of her head. "I'm looking forward to it. The only times everyone really gets together like that are at Grand Festivals… but here we are, and we're all going to be competing together. It's exciting." Her voice was sleepier than she'd realised, and the sound of it made Drew chuckle. He reached around to ease her glasses from her face to put them neatly on her nightstand. "Thanks." Drew folded them together gently and placed them delicately.

"I thought my days of dressing up for contests were over" Drew griped conversationally, and May giggled. "It's so showy and flashy and Arceus I hate it so much."

"Contests are showy and flashy half the time," May teased, turning her head inwards towards him, resting her chin against the bone in his shoulder. "Besides, don't you want to see me all dressed up?"

"You talk too much," Drew muttered, blushing a little. May laughed a tinkling, silly laugh, settling herself into a comfortable position hugging his chest. Smiling, he let his face fall into her hair. She had a cinnamony smell from all the Christmas baking her mother had done. "I'm glad you forced me to come."

"I'm glad too," May beamed, hiding her face a little. "It makes me really happy that you get on with my family so well."

"They're great," Drew replied honestly, without a hint of hesitation. "Really. I mean, Max is a pain, but that's inescapable."

"Many have tried, many have failed" May nodded solemnly. "He's a total hindrance. But in the best way."

"Right," Drew agreed, his voice a little slower than usual. "And your parents are really lovely. I… I really like it here." He was almost shy in admitting it, and May looked up to him gently, smiling sweetly at him.

"Well, that's fortunate" she told him softly. "Because they love you a lot. I hope you're ready for that." Drew smiled at her wording, brushing a little hair from her face so he could kiss her. It was soft and chaste, a lingering peck more than anything else, but it was the best way he knew how to convey words he was struggling to say. May knew that, because she was May and she knew him better than anyone, so she just grinned at him stupidly and settled back down onto his chest, finding his hand so she could play with his fingers. She was fond of that, he'd noticed. It had grown from a nervous reaction to a relaxed habit. After a while, he'd decided it was quite nice, and put him at ease.

"Love you." His voice had barely been a mumble, but she'd heard it clearly, and it left a huge, beaming smile on her face. He was so gentle when his guard was down, and it was so rare that she cherished it fondly. She took a moment, giggling to herself, but she took a beat too long in replying as when she looked back up at him again he'd dozed off, breathing slowly against the top of her head.

"He sleeps." May bit her lip for a moment, watching him. His neck was slightly crooked against one of the pillows, and a few tufts of his hair were casting a shadow across his eyes. It seemed he was the most peaceful he'd been for a while. May had been worried the stress of the season and his mother's absence had left him restless, and he'd been wearing himself down, so seeing him rest at last assuaged her worries for a moment. The bags under his eyes had been fading while they'd been in Petalburg, which had been good to see. "I love you too, dweeb" she whispered, leaning up to kiss his temple soundlessly. He made a muffled, grumbling noise in his sleep, having felt his source of warmth shift away from him, so she nestled back in closer, listening to the gentle rise and fall of his chest.

* * *

 **Lilycove**

* * *

While in Kalos, May caught four Pokémon. The first she encountered was an Espurr, which she met not long after getting off the ferry. It seemed so small and delicate, with such intense and focused eyes that she couldn't bear to leave it hiding out in the docks alone. Then, while she was in Lumiose City, she encountered a sweet baby Flabebe, which looked so darling clinging to the flowers surrounding the city that she knew it was made for contests and she'd be a fool to leave it behind. Her gorgeous Altaria she caught just as that, and never met it as a Swablu, but the moment she encountered it, she felt such an incredible bond form between the two, and she knew that with a little retraining this powerful, great dragon Pokémon would be the most beautiful addition to her team, and she was proven right in the Wallace Cup in Johto. The last Pokémon she encountered was a Litleo, stumbling around near Santalune City, looking cute and clumsy and lovely, and May was enamoured with her soft paws and big eyes in moments. She'd not been aware until she scanned the Litleo that her colouring was off; what should have been a dark, mahogany fur was instead a creamy beige, making the little cub even more appealing; perfect for contests, and perfect for her. There was a part of her that worried she'd caught too many Pokémon, and that her parents would struggle to care for them and would be frustrated by her constantly rotating them during her travels, but Caroline was more than happy for the company and the Pokémon to play with, and May knew they were in the best hands they could be in. Espurr evolved during training for the Wallace Cup, and he became a beautiful, navy furred Meowstic that was perfect for partner battles, powering up offensive moves and creating clever, tricky psychic walls. Flabebe evolved into a beautiful Floette while exploring her parent's greenhouse, and while May was sad not to have witnessed it she was overjoyed, the Pokémon's beautiful red flower tucked neatly over her shoulder. Litleo remained as she was, little and beige and pretty and shiny. May was totally obsessed with how cute she could be, to the point that Norman had warned her not to get distracted while training when she'd told him she'd take her little Litleo to Lilycove after leaving from their Christmas together.

Litleo loved playing more than anything else, and May wondered if she was really ready for a contest. She was immature and easily distracted, but so clever and beautiful when she focused, and May wondered if she'd really concentrate for long enough to pull off an entire appeal. Teasingly, Litleo jumped up and tried to nibble at May's fingers, teasing, wanting to play. May knelt down to her with a sigh. They were in a clearing near the Lilycove contest hall, and they only had a few days left until the contest.

"We need to get this right, little one" May scolded her firmly, unimpressed. "I know this is your first contest, so you don't know what's really coming… but it's not easy, we really need to practice hard." Litleo growled with a big, oblivious grin, padding her big paws eagerly against the ground. May groaned.

"Seems like you're having some obedience issues, hon" a chirpy voice cut through their training session, and May felt her blood boil. She'd been hoping not to encounter him any time soon, to give herself time to cool off. But she knew she would have to face him eventually, and she didn't think she'd ever really calm down until she did.

"Harley," May greeted curtly, standing up straight and turning to her old rival assertively. "I presume you're entering the Lilycove contest too?"

"You got it, doll!" He grinned, twinkling his fingers at her as he drew closer. "This is a new little fella! You caught a Litleo in Kalos, then, huh?"

"Yeah," May nodded, not looking him in the eye. "I did. How's the ribbon count?"

"Three!" Harley sang. "I even won one against boyfriend, but I'm sure you know all about that."

"You're damn right I do" May shot back, her voice suddenly much harsher. Harley faltered, before sighing.

"May, honey" he began slowly. "I don't want to fight with you. I honestly don't. But I have an issue with your choice in men, and he has an issue with me. Leave yourself out of it sweetie, I much prefer playing nice with you these days, it's much less stressful for my hairline." Harley gave May a little pout, and she stared at him incredulously. "I'll make you cookies?"

"I don't care what issues you have with Drew" May replied stickily, wringing her hands a little. "And I don't enjoy conflict."

"Thatagirl," Harley reached forward to pat her on the head. "There's my sunflower."

"However," May looked him squarely in the eye, and stepped a little closer to him, her nose nearly touching his. Harley paled a little, unnerved by her aggressive stance. He didn't know she had it in her. "Say crap like that to him again, and it won't be your contests you have to worry about."

Litleo watched the exchange with a sudden interest, surprised at the display of assertive dominance from his trainer. Until then, she'd seemed a very sweet and mellow trainer, and not much of a pack leader. But now, watching her stare down her rival, it seemed a little different. Running forward, he barked a little, jumping between the two coordinators and staring down Harley viciously, ready to protect his trainer. Harley paused, a little hesitant.

"I didn't want to fight with you, doll" Harley reminded her gently. "You should watch that language too, it's unbecoming. We'll leave this to the arena to sort out."

"Sounds good" May retorted gruffly. Litleo gave a sharp, shrill bark in confirmation, watching wearily as her opponent shifted away.

* * *

The contest was going swimmingly. Litleo's change in attitude after meeting Harley brought about a cute and fun appeal, where May would throw up a small bouncy ball and Litleo would catch it after leaping through hoops of fire she'd created herself. It was cute, fun, and demonstrated the best of Litleo's fire power, and they got solidly good marks for it, although May knew if Drew had been there he would have dissed it for the use of props. May felt at home with her props though, and Litleo loved playing ball, so it made sense to her. Harley's appeal with his Wigglytuff was creepy, but strong, as was to be expected. He used those powerful, strong long ears to juggle shadow ball attacks above his head, throwing them higher and higher as they grew and grew, until they collided into a smoky, dank mist around the stage.

They met, not in the finals, but in the second round of battling. May preferred it that way. She didn't want him thinking he was worthy of a final.

Litleo wasn't her strongest battler, but she was her most enthusiastic. She dodged every attack, ran without losing energy, and never lost a moment's urgency, every move she made filled with a playful bounce and a teasing grin. It enamoured the judges to her, May knew, and the audience were cheering on the cute, unusual fire type whom was so rare in this region. Litleo was a little bundle of youthful, cute energy, whereas Wigglytuff, a traditionally sweet Pokémon, seemed to be throwing out distrustfully dark moves that left the audience unnerved.

"Harley, Harley, Harley" May sang, laughing in a big, fake, happy laugh behind her hand. "Did your mother never tell you it's easier to catch beedrills with honey, not vinegar?"

"I'm not here for beedrills, hon, I'm here for the ribbon" Harley growled back. "Wigglytuff, shadow ball!"

Litleo seemed to put a paw in place at the wrong time, because the blast sent her skidding backwards with a long howl that ripped at the hearts of everyone in the audience. May winced, and their points took a hit.

"Litleo, bounce back" May called confidently, and she did, bounding forward with messy paws and an excited bark that set everyone back to watching her with silly, adoring big eyes. "Let's go for a flame charge, little one!"

As the battle charged on, it didn't matter that Litleo's attacks weren't very strong yet. With mocking dodges and big grins, Litleo had kept the majority of her points where Wigglytuff had been bleeding them from the get go, barely able to hit his target and when he did, Litleo pulled off getting hurt so sweetly that the judges barely took away any points. Harley was nearly tearing out his hair frustrated that his powered up Wigglytuff was losing to a novice Pokémon like a baby Litleo, but it just made May all the more smug as she accepted her ribbon and fastened it to her proud little one, as she barked up happily at the cheering applause.

* * *

 **Sootopolis**

* * *

Solidad placed her coffee cup down delicately, folding her arms and leaning back as she pondered his words. Drew watched her thoughtfully, drinking from his own cup soundlessly. As soon as Drew had arrived in Sootopolis he'd found Solidad waiting, smiling at the docking gate as he'd approached. They'd kept in regular contact, as always, and as soon as they'd established they'd both be in Sootopolis for the Wallace Cup they'd worked out each other's arrival times and agreed to meet for coffee. She'd teased him for his sea sickness, and then even more when she caught him taking some medicine designed to ease his nausea that May had gotten him. At first they'd just caught up quite naturally, discussing Solidad's year with her family in Kanto (her parents wanted her help with running their business for a while while her sister was out of action, pregnant) and the aftermath of what happened in Sinnoh (when Drew established his mother had not been in touch, she swore under her breath and pulled a real stinker of a face). They'd caught up on the ribbons they'd won and lost so far in Hoenn; Solidad was taking the region by storm, and had already won four ribbons, but was very impressed with Drew's three, after what she'd heard through contest gossip. This had lead to him rehashing his conversation with May about retiring from coordinating, and Solidad was thinking over his words for far too long for Drew's liking.

"I don't really know," she began carefully, slowly. "If you're taking the right lesson from this."

"What does that mean?" Drew scoffed, placing his own cup down.

"It means that you're in a slump, and that happens." Solidad shrugged, giving him an analytical look. "I mean, I had one in Johto."

"You did?" Drew blinked, a little taken back. If she had, he hadn't noticed.

"Oh yeah," Solidad confirmed, flexing her fingers a little. "I was struggling a lot. It's why I was so eager to drink that night when we went out in Blackthorn. I kinda knew May getting into the Grand Festival meant trouble for me, because I didn't know if I could hold her off again that year. I was right to be worried."

"I never thought of it like that" Drew admitted. "I didn't realise…"

"Not many people did" Solidad shrugged. "Harley did. Harley can read me like a book. It's very annoying. He's very good at figuring out a person's head space."

"Yeah, I guess." Drew tried not to dwell on that. "But so what? I mean, I just don't see where I'm supposed to go next, so maybe I shouldn't be going anywhere. I'm a top coordinator, I can retire with dignity."

"Everyone has this drop period after winning a Grand Festival" Solidad replied briskly. "It's a difficult thing to sustain. That's why Johto was hard for me. Everyone seemed to take off at once after Johto, except for you. Of course Sinnoh was a weird year. Your only real competition was Marina, and Arceus knows she has some problems of her own." Drew got a flash in his head of her slumped over a barstool at Lake Valor, miserable, drunk and lonely.

"Yeah… I guess she does." Drew began to frown.

"Everyone slumps, Drew. Granted, yours has been a little delayed by circumstance, but it's a slump and it happens." Solidad gave him a reassuring smile. "The question is how you handle it. I mean, Robert, he never handled it. He quit. I handled it by going home for a while. May went to Kalos. What will you do?"

"Are you telling me to take off and not coordinate and ditch May?" Drew scowled. Solidad looked at him with a bright eyed grin, tilting her head at him as he tried to stomach the concept. He wouldn't be away from her again.

"You two give me diabetes" Solidad told him fondly, laughing. "No. I'm telling you to look at what your problem is. You've always been stubborn, you never listen to what anyone else thinks about your appeals. Not me, or May, or anyone. You only trust your own opinion and you shut people out because of it." Vaguely, Drew recalled his conversation with his father at the beginning of the contest season, and found some semblance of truth in what she was saying. "May's slump came from relying on other people too much, so she isolated herself and found her independence. Mine came from over thinking and relying too much on what I'd already done, so I went home and went back to the basics. What will you do?"

"I don't know." Her words were irking him. They seemed so logical and concrete and she was reading him too well, as she always did. "That's part of the problem, Solidad. If I knew, we probably wouldn't be having this conversation. I probably wouldn't be here."

"Do you feel like this is the wrong place for you to be right now?" Solidad continued ruthlessly. "Why? Where should you be?"

"Arceus, Solidad, what are you a psychoanalyst?" Drew gave her a firm glare. "You're taking this out of proportion. I don't think I'm in the wrong place at all. I just…"

"Don't think you should be coordinating anymore" Solidad scoffed. "Which is crap, by the way. On a scale of one to crap, you're pretty solidly in the crap category."

"Keep finding new, inventive ways to make me dislike conversing with you Solidad," Drew drawled. "You know how it thrills me."

"You're hurt, Drew." Solidad ignored him. "You're in a contest slump and you feel like you're failing. Your mother made it clear she was using you and therefore did not want you around for sentimental reasons, and that's left you hurt, and abandoned."

"I don't feel abandoned." The word felt funny in his mouth. "I'm hardly a meowth in a dumpster, Solidad."

"No, you're not" Solidad agreed. "But you feel like one, and you're too cool and too I'm-Drew-Hayden-what-are-these-emotions-you-speak-of to admit it. It's alright you know. No one is expecting for this to not be hard for you. I bet May's been worried about you too."

"... She has." He knew she would take something from his reluctance in admitting it. Solidad had clearly known him for too long. "But less so recently."

"What changed recently?" She pushed. There was a gleam in her eye, and a twist of her neck, and a grimace in her smile. Solidad was the master of wheedling information out of him, with persistent, leading questions and the right level of sympathetic looks that made it look caring, but not pitying, and still analytical and logical enough to feel somewhat distant enough for Drew to say anything at all. He sighed.

"I… I've been trying to change my approach a little" he ventured. Solidad nodded. "I stayed with her family over Christmas, and I challenged her dad to a battle. It was a good battle, and he made a lot of good critiques at the end, and… why are you looking at me like that?" Solidad's eyes had glazed over a little, and her lower lip was trapped by her teeth.

"You stayed with her family?" She looked like she'd been winded, and Drew was a little taken back. "Over Christmas? And… you asked her Dad to give you a battle that you took critique from?"

"... If I say yes, will you cry?" Drew blinked.

"I'm sorry, I just needed to check" Solidad sniffed, beaming. "I'm just so… you've just grown up a lot. Since your first contest, I mean. You were so stubborn and you… shut everything else out. It was just… I'm going to win and I'm going to do it by myself and no I don't care if you think Petal Dance would look good done like this because… because I'm Drew and I don't need anyone else's help." She brushed a little hair out of her face, barking out a slightly strangled laugh. "And now you're nineteen and you're turning twenty soon and you're staying at your girlfriend's house over Christmas and taking advice from her family. Don't you see how much you've changed? How much you've matured, and grown?"

"Kinda hard to see it from my perspective, but I'll take your word for it." Drew's words came out in an abashed mumble, not sure how to respond. Solidad had been a staple figure in his life for a long time, but he'd never really seen this kind of sudden emotion from her, especially not over him. "Sol…"

"I'm fine." She was pressing her jacket sleeve to her face, sweeping away a few stray tears before they could dare drop from her eyes. "I'm… I'm just really proud of you I guess. Funny that, huh?"

"Thanks, I…" Drew swallowed. "I didn't know." Solidad gave him another big, giggling grin, and he felt himself smile a little.

"So," Solidad coughed, collecting herself a little. "Okay. Enough of my awkward ramblings. What I was trying to say - somewhere in the middle of all that - was that you're already doing the things you need to do."

"What do you mean?" Drew paused, unsure. Solidad laughed again.

"You're taking on other people's opinions, and you're trusting what people around you think and what they tell you about your skills" she explained gently. "I remember telling May when I first met her that you were the kind of person who never listens to what anyone has to say about your coordinating, but… you're not that person anymore. That's what I mean. You were definitely that person in Johto, but somewhere… along the line. That's changed."

"Are you saying that's why I'm struggling? That I'm listening to other people too much?" Drew sat back in his chair, breathing out heavily. A sudden, vivid memory of his father warning him about May being a distraction came bubbling to mind, but he tried to ignore it. "It doesn't seem like your usual advice, I must admit."

"That's because it's the opposite of my advice." Solidad shook her head at him, smiling. "It's what will make things better. Just… give it time, and follow your feet. You'll get there, Drew. I'm not worried about you."

There was a warmth to the look she was giving him that Drew had seen before, every time that Solidad had one of these talks with him. It was the first time since the day they'd met it had been about his coordinating, or at least, the only time he'd really allowed himself to listen to her on the subject, but regardless of their conversation over the years the look she'd given him was the same. Nodding at her, he drained his coffee. He wondered dryly for a moment why he'd ever missed his mother in the first place.

* * *

Registering for the Wallace Cup was a surprisingly arduous process, Drew found. It wasn't as simple as providing his contest pass and then retreating to the Pokémon Center dorms, but instead, he had to fill out seemingly endless forms. His full name, his home address, regions he had participated in and significant accomplishments like Grand Festival attendance, standings or victories, or past Wallace Cup victories. There was even a little multiple choice quiz on the back of the form, asking a series of questions about their battle style and appeal style and how they acted under pressure and whether they worked well with others. It was intrusive, and strange, and Drew felt uncomfortable with something as subjective as coordinating being categorized and labelled in this way. Still, he knew May would likely be furious if he backed out of the Wallace Cup now, after how excited she'd been at Christmas, so he filled it out as best he could, and took solace in the fact that other coordinators also filling it out around him seemed equally perplexed.

He handed his forms back in, had his Pokémon scanned over and registered, and then headed out into the city. Sootopolis was a place he'd had very limited time in in the past, but it was a beautiful city, he thought. The sun reflected off the white cliff faces and the watery canals of the city, making it almost blindingly bright everywhere, the shimmer of the sun catching every direction you looked in. The smell of the sea was everywhere, fresh and salty, and if he didn't dislike travelling by boat so much he'd probably have liked it. It had a bubbling life to it, and the locals all seemed to know each other, confined in this crater in the ocean together, and they were excited for the Wallace Cup everywhere. Wallace himself was very popular in the area, being local to the city, and everywhere he went was filled with whispers and rumours about this contest coming up, and how quiet the particulars of this one had been kept.

"Drew!" Drew immediately recognised Dawn's, sudden, startled face a little way ahead. She looked like she'd just stepped off the docks, and she'd probably be headed for the contest hall to register. But she looked daunted at his appearance, almost like she'd been dreading it. And he paused, intrigued. She was stood with someone else; he was tall and was dressed inappropriately warmly for how hot Hoenn got, especially in a sun trap like Sootopolis, but it didn't seem to bother him inside his synthetic jacket and thick, cargo pants. Drew didn't think he'd ever seen someone look so utterly apathetic in expression. It was unreadable, hidden behind flicks of dark, purplish hair and a resting face that seemed to scowl. He'd never seen such a natural polar opposite to Dawn.

"Dawn," Drew nodded in greeting, suspicious. "I presume you're off to register?"

"Y-Yeah!" She replied, her voice trying to muster up the chipper edge she usually had. "I never miss the Wallace Cup, it's my favourite event!"

"For sure." Drew swivelled his eyes over to the man with her. He was looking at him, too. It was a curious look, but yet incredibly disinterested. Drew was baffled as to how he pulled it off. "Sorry, I'm Drew. I'm a coordinator."

"Paul." His reply was short and to the point, punctuated with a polite, stiff nod. "I'm a trainer."

"A pleasure," Drew pulled out the end of his word sarcastically, a little uncomfortable under his scrutiny.

"So, so when does May arrive?" Dawn asked brightly. "You remember I told you about May, Paul? She's the girl who won the last Wallace Cup, the one with the Blaziken you said you admired? She's Drew's girlfriend!"

"She gets here tomorrow," Drew explained slowly, still a little apprehensive. "You know. Leaving everything to the last minute."

"Sounds like May!" Dawn laughed loudly and unnaturally. "Now I think about it, I never mentioned she used to travel with Ash too! In fact that's how I met May, because she came to Sinnoh to visit him when..!"

"That's fine, Dawn" Paul cut her off quietly, and she silenced immediately. Drew arched an eyebrow. Dawn was giving this big, nervous grin that seemed wrong on her face, almost panicked.

"W-well, we should get to the hall!" Dawn finally finished, giving Drew a jovial nudge. "This will be my first time competing with you, Drew! And I think my friend Zoey, from Sinnoh, is arriving tomorrow too! I hope you're ready to lose!"

"We'll see about that," Drew gave her a half-hearted nod and smile, and she grinned back, trotting after Paul as he started to stride away, leaving Drew to stare after them with a curious, blank expression. "So, he knows Ash…"

* * *

May's arrival to Sootopolis had been incredibly cheerful. Drew had been off training somewhere, too busy to meet her apparently (it only made her laugh, really). But Dawn was more than eager to be the first to see her off the boat, and Zoey had arrived long before she had, earlier that day. May knew Solidad would be around somewhere as well, probably training, like Drew, and the idea of them all being together filled her with a jittery excitement. Dawn and Zoey had been so much fun to get to know at their first Wallace Cup together in Sinnoh, and then introducing Dawn to Solidad at the Johto equivalent last year had led to a lot of silly, girly fun that May didn't know Solidad had been wholly capable of. The ship docked, and she nearly sprinted for the exits, trying hard not to push past people as she made her way for the harbour. It was hard to restrain herself from being rude when she could see her friends waving to her in the entrance bay. Excited, anticipatory energy was making her fidgety and flighty. The Wallace Cup was one of her favourite occasions.

The crowds seemed to lurch forward a little more, and soon May was able to untangle herself and wrap herself in the arms of her old friends, laughing together raucously about how long it had been and how much fun they were going to have, the three of them together again. Although May knew that Dawn was much closer with Zoey than she was, May had kept in touch with the other coordinator over the years the same as she had with many of her friends, often sending congratulatory texts after successful contests, or calling each other from time to time to catch up on each other's journeys and to laugh about anecdotes they'd heard about their mutual friends. They shared a particular penchant for laughing about anything either heard about Ash, for some reason. Zoey always seemed to dwell on information about him a little longer, a little more curiously, and May was confident she knew why, as they each stood wrapped in a big, warm friendly hug, Dawn sandwiched between them.

"Zoey!" May squeaked, obliviously happy. "It's so great to see you!"

"You too, May." Zoey gave a soft laugh. May had missed her calm, solid demeanour. She was a very soothing presence.

"Zoey and I have been catching up," Dawn filled in quickly, clearing the hug and standing between the two, linking arms with each and acting as a sort of bonding agent. "She's already got four ribbons, like you, May!"

"Wow, Zoey that's awesome!" May congratulated earnestly, leaning forward to look at the other girl. Zoey looked a little embarrassed, rubbing the back of her neck as she chuckled.

"Thanks, same to you of course!" She replied lightly. "It's really exciting to be in Hoenn, I've never been here before. Is it always this hot in February?"

"Sootopolis gets especially warm because it's like a giant sun trap," May explained with a grin. "The sun just bounces off the cliff walls and it's like permanent summer in here! But honestly, yeah kinda. Hoenn isn't known for being cold!"

"It's so humid and sticky," Zoey grouched, blowing a little hair out of her face that had stuck to her forehead from sweat. "Not acceptable."

"You'll get used to it," Dawn laughed openly. "Oh man, I'm so glad you're both here. I'm gonna need… a lot of back up for this contest."

"Huh?" May blinked, giving her an awkward glance, and Zoey's face fell, making May think she was a little out of the loop. "What is it?"

"Dawn has a friend, here" Zoey scowled. "Not a particularly nice one."

"Oh come on, Zoey!" They were out of the docks, and were headed in the general direction of the Pokémon Center. Sootopolis was pretty as ever, with shining white cliff faces and glistening water. "It's not like he's a bad guy. You don't know him well enough to say that."

"I learnt enough around Snowpoint," Zoey retorted gruffly. "He was very unkind to Candice, and that tells me all I need to know."

"Hi, sorry, May here," May cut in with a little wave. "Just wondering; who are we talking about?"

"Paul" Zoey told her plainly, a little baffled. "Has Dawn not filled you in?"

"I was… getting around to it," Dawn objected meekly. May gave her a slightly hurt look. "Sorry! I just… he made it clear he didn't want it talked about, and I only told Zoey when she was on her way to Sootopolis, I just… needed it to stay quiet from Ash for a while, and I knew you'd call him and ask him about it, and I just…" Dawn looked down, a little unsure. Zoey gave May an arched, knowing glance. "I didn't want him to worry. Because there's nothing to worry about!"

"Paul was a rival to Ash, back when they were in Sinnoh," Zoey clarified coolly. "He's a total ass."

"No, no he's not!" Dawn refuted quickly, before flushing a little. "He's just... a little hard to reach. But he's not an ass, he's just focused and very serious about what he does."

"He's an ass" Zoey repeated, ignoring her. "But you'll see. He's here, entering the cup. I'm still reeling from the shock of it."

"Not one for coordinating?" May asked lightly, almost laughing at Dawn's ridiculously contorted face.

"Not at all" Dawn agreed, shaking her head a little. "When he asked me about it… I thought he was saying he was going to come watch and support me, which was bewildering enough as it is. But then when he said he wanted to enter…"

"Maybe he's just doing it to make some kind of point," Zoey hypothesised. "I'm a trainer and I'll win this silly contest thing because I can, and I'm stronger than you."

"Not his style…" Dawn hummed thoughtfully. "Honestly, I think it's because Ash entered one, and used it for training… He's not unlikely to do something unexpected if he thinks it'll improve his battling, and I've been training with him a lot. I think he admires some kinds of contest moves."

"Oh yeah?" Zoey rolled her eyes. "I doubt he admires anything but his own stupid pride."

"No, he does!" Dawn grunted, frustrated. "I wish you'd give him a chance. May? Will you at least give him a chance?"

"He was who you were going to see in Fallborough, right?" May asked slowly, a little confused. "And… the whole touchy, don't tell Ash about Veilstone…"

"I went to see Paul last Christmas, in Veilstone" Dawn admitted readily. "I watched a contest there, and Drew lost in the final, and I bumped into him training in the woods afterwards. And…"

"I follow," May clarified, nodding her head briskly. "I wish you'd told me instead of being all secretive."

"I needed to know you wouldn't call Ash to find out more about him," Dawn mumbled, a little awkwardly. "I know you would have done it out of concern. But please, I just want you to give him a chance."

"Alright," May replied warily, nodding. "I reserve all judgement until the end of the cup." Zoey groaned, and Dawn gave her a big, appreciative grin, hugging her tightly. They were just about near the Pokémon Center, and the conversation fell into less heated, conflicting topics. Dawn encouraged Zoey in mocking Drew at every available opportunity, and May only objected reluctantly out of a feeling of obligation. They talked about contests they'd entered, about people they'd encountered - Zoey was telling them a long, sarcastic anecdote about a contest where she'd faced off with Ursula that left them both in stitches, giggling as Zoey described every flounce of her skirt or twist of her hair in some mocking, bored voice that just seemed hysterical to the pair, causing a little bit of a noisy scene in the lobby as they signed up for their dorm rooms for the duration of the contest. Dawn had already booked a room the day prior, but looked really tempted at the idea of signing out and signing back in again so she could room with her two friends.

"Well, look who it is." The three girls turned, still giggling, to greet the voice, and May beamed at the sight. Solidad was a little winded by the ferocity of May's hug, and Dawn's followed up soon after. "Dawn, it's been a while!"

"I've not seen you since Dewford!" Dawn grinned, scratching the back of her head. "Have you met Zoey? She's a close friend of mine from Sinnoh!"

"We haven't met, but your reputation precedes you!" Solidad replied in that consistent, calm tone of voice she had that lilted with amusement. "Zoey, you're a top coordinator, yes? I've seen some of your battles."

"I am!" Zoey grinned, a little bit to herself. It was always a bit of a rush when a follow top coordinator recognised you like that, especially one who was her senior. "You're Solidad, and you won in Kanto a few years back. Man, I remember watching that Festival at home and being in awe of you."

"You saw that festival?" May popped up next to Zoey, excited. "Did you see me? Did you see my appeals? And did you see me beat Drew?"

"Um, I watched the highlights reel," Zoey replied, suddenly overwhelmed by her overeager friend. "I don't think I saw your appeal… I think I saw some of your battling. One against some green haired guy, and one against Solidad."

"You saw me beat Drew," May nodded, happy. "That's all I needed. We don't need to talk about Solidad beating me, that's totally fine."

"Her priorities are somewhat focused," Solidad snickered. "I have been training since dawn, and I am exhausted and I am starving. Do you guys want to grab some lunch?"

"I'm glad you mentioned that Solidad," May nodded, serious. "Because yes. I really, really do."

"I should find out where Paul went," Dawn paused, unsure. "He said he was going to train somewhere, but… I don't know where he went."

"Then it's not your problem," Zoey scoffed, folding her arms. "He blew you off to go train, blow him off and have lunch with us."

"He didn't blow me off!" Dawn gave her friend another sharp look. "He went to train. More than acceptable."

"I'm guessing there's a backstory here?" Solidad asked May pleasantly, smiling in a gentle, amused way. May sighed good-naturedly, nodding.

"Unfortunately," May confirmed dryly. "But I think it's one we can tell you over some ramen."

* * *

Drew was never going to admit defeat. It was a dreaded task that he attempted before every super contest he entered, and it was one he had failed every single time. It usually took about half a dozen failed attempts before he'd discard it, but this time he was even more forceful with himself than ever before, determined to tackle this adversary.

"Having some trouble there, champ?" May was peering round the door. She hadn't bothered to knock. He spared her a withering glance. He'd seen her the evening before, when she was completely overly excitable and overly giddy from an afternoon with what was suddenly this overwhelmingly loud gang of girls that had emerged into the Pokémon Center when he was dropping them off to be checked over after training. They'd done some pre-contest shopping or something, as none of them had brought formal wear to Hoenn as the contests were so much more relaxed, but the Wallace Cup was something different. "You could always ask for help."

"I don't need help" Drew replied stiffly. This was the moment for the discard. May arched an eyebrow at him from the doorway. Stifling a sigh, he turned to look at her properly. She had her contest contacts in, was wearing bright red lipstick, and her hair was shinier than usual, freshly washed and blow-dried, making it a bit poufy and wavy around her face. There was a red ribbon holding back the fluff of hair she had growing out at the back, not unlike how her bandana had when she met with him in Sinnoh. When she finally let herself in, pulling herself around the door, he repressed a smile at her. May wasn't one for going over the top with her appearance, especially for contests (a true Hoenn native), so he suspected Dawn had forced her into the floaty red dress she shifted uncomfortably in, twirling the hem of it with her fingers instead of letting it fall to her knees, hunching her shoulders as she shuffled about in it. "You look nice."

"Thanks." She clearly didn't want to dwell on that, awkward with compliments, especially from him, especially before a contest. "Sure you don't need a hand? I can tie those pretty neat." Drew scoffed.

"Since when did you know how to tie these damn things?" He asked her sceptically, and she puffed her cheeks out, annoyed.

"Being a gym leader's kid means more than your fair share of stupid formal league gatherings" May told him sulkily. "Mom was always busy making sure Dad was ready, let alone Max… so she taught me how so that I could get him ready so she didn't have to."

"You're telling me you legitimately can tie a tie?" Drew looked at her thoughtfully, almost visibly battling with his pride. "I… err…"

"If you don't believe me," May rolled her eyes, smiling to herself, "why don't I prove you wrong and demonstrate?"

"I…" Drew caught on quickly, and pursed his lips trying not to laugh. "I'd like to see you try. Just try and have at least some finesse about it, I know how that's hard for you." May was getting good at giving his pride some saving grace when needed, but he could never seem to get out the habit of riling her up in response.

"Bite me," she gave him a hard, mocking look, and he laughed openly, apologising silently by brushing her back as she stepped in front of him. Her hands flicked the collar of his grey shirt up, and she carefully rearranged the black strap of fabric that had gotten bunched at the back, before twisting it over and folding it neatly, tugging it through a loop and down so it fell across his shirt, and then folded his collar back down neatly. Her fingers brushed his neck a little, and it felt really warm to touch, like his skin always did. May bit her lip.

"Do you remember when we were in that cafe, in Olivine?" Drew asked absently. May hummed in affirmation, only half listening as she neatened his tie. "And you said that. You said bite me, and I made a lewd joke."

"It was very inappropriate," May nodded, her cheeks flushing at the memory mixed with their proximity. Drew grinned, and swept his head down to kiss her for a second, feeling her make a startled noise at his sudden affection, his hand finding the base of her back. She huffed a little as he pulled back, giving him a stern look, silently asking him what that was for.

"Never change," he asked her simply, leaving her to check his tie in the mirror, adjusting the knot so it was a little more comfortable. "I've got to admit, I'm impressed. That's a fine knot."

"I do okay," May mumbled, a little flustered. "You're in a good mood."

"I'm always in a good mood," Drew told her dismissively, a little sarcasm creeping into his tone. "I'm a joy to be around, you know me. We're going to be late, come on."

"Wait a sec," May caught him as he was about to leave for the door, pausing herself. He looked at her quizzically, smiling a rare, relaxed smile that always left her a little breathless. "Why, um, why did you bring up Olivine?" She gave him a long, slow look, and he barked a laugh, suddenly apprehensive himself. But he covered it, sweeping a little hair out of her face and kissing her again, lingering a little longer.

"I bet I'm wearing your lipstick now," he complained uncaringly. "Do you have a tissue?"

* * *

 **The Wallace Cup: Early Knockouts**

* * *

The opening ceremonies of the Wallace Cup were as dumb and filled with pageantry as Drew remembered from watching the various cups May had competed in in years prior. There were screams of excitement from the audience as they walked out in their little crowd, waving awkwardly. It could rival the Grand Festival, with the kind of uproar it caused. Dawn was in her element, walking a little ahead of them in a pretty white dress with a big skirt, waving eagerly to the crowds, waving both arms above her perfectly coiffed hair. Zoey and Paul walked either side of her, shooting each other suspicious, distrustful looks, and Solidad just behind, laughing occasionally as she turned back to May and Drew, clasping the other's hand tightly, each waving themselves. Drew hated attention and May always got nervous before contests. It was a natural solution. The commentary Drew had previously thought had only been aired on televisions was echoing through the arena, noisy and crackling slightly, discussing some of the competitors and their odds on doing well. All six of them were mentioned for some reason, Zoey, Solidad and Drew for being Top Coordinators, May and Dawn for being previous winners of the Wallace Cup, and Paul for coming top eight in the Sinnoh League and top four in the Kanto League in the past two years. Drew looked at Paul a little harder after that. If he got through the appeals, he wouldn't be easy to defeat.

Once some of the commotion died down, and Wallace appeared before them, his Milotic giving its signature performance with glittering water fragments filling the air and sparkling prettily, they settled into the usual hubbub of the opening ceremony. Wallace welcomed them warmly with a wave of his arm, throwing fan service to the crowds at every opportunity. He welcomed Juan as a guest judge, the gym leader for the city and a previous Top Coordinator in his day. Mr Contesta and Mr Sukizo were present, as ever, along with Nurse Joy. It looked like there was nothing left to announce; he'd told everyone the appeals were beginning first thing in the morning, and that the battle rounds would begin the following day, and all seemed well, until he turned back around with a big, almost deceitful grin.

"Now I'm sure many of you have heard rumours," Wallace began airily. The audience broke into a shrill, piercing shriek at the word rumour. Ever the showman, Wallace waited for the screams to subside before continuing. "Rumours… of the format being thrown about a little, hmm?" Drew felt May's grip on his hand tighten. He looked at her, surprised. She'd spent so long training with a certain kind of contest in mind, all in preparation for this season, and he figured any kind of sudden change after that kind of preparation would throw anyone off balance. He squeezed her hand back, trying to reassure her, while also trying to make sure circulation was still moving through his fingers. "Now, this is only going to effect the very very final few battles - the semi-final and the final rounds, do you hear? We're bringing about a whole new style of contest battling, in which a coordinator's entire team is used!"

"He can't mean…" Drew's words were swallowed in the deafening screams, but May nodded mutely.

"It'll be a doubles battle, but all six Pokémon will be usable, and you can swap out at any time!" Wallace explained brightly, his words filling the arena with a trembling tension that shivered through the coordinators. "Battles will last half an hour, instead of five minutes, or until all of one trainer's team is knocked out!"

"That's insane," May mumbled, bringing a finger to her lips as she thought heavily. "That's… that's what they do in the Leagues. Full battles."

"This means something," Drew echoed her thoughts immediately, and she nodded, looking at him apprehensively. "Wallace is League Champion. This… has to mean something."

"I don't know," May bit her lip, hard. "I… I don't know."

"Hoenn League might be looking to get more representation of coordinators?" Drew asked, more to himself than May, trying to puzzle it together. "It is the second most popular trainer class - especially in Hoenn, those margins are much smaller."

"Drew, I don't know" May repeated, giving him a weighted look.

"Maybe a gym leader slot is opening up, and he wants to trial coordinators for it?" Drew continued, not heeding her warning glance. "Or… something more? Why doubles battles, though?"

"Drew." May spoke firmly, and Drew turned to look at her, a little surprised. "This is nerve wracking enough as it is. Will you please stop bigging this up more than just it's a simple rules change for the Wallace Cup?"

"It's clearly not that, though" Drew retorted gruffly, displeased by her lack of intrigue. "I mean…"

"For now," she amended, blinking a little, completely bewildered. Drew quietened, nodding, and squeezed her hand again.

* * *

The appeals round was so natural to May now, it felt like breathing. Bellossom was always a safe bet with appeals, less so with battling, so she'd had her transferred over for the big contest. Her mother had been sad to see her go, being very fond of the little floral Pokémon. But using sweet scent and petal dance had filled the arena with a happy audience, still sniffing the air cheerfully long after she had finished her appeal. Her marks had been high, as they had been all season, and May was bubbling with excitement as she left the stage, twirling her Bellossom closely in her arms as she preened eagerly for May's attention. It was always a relief when an appeal went well, no matter how consistent they had become.

"Not bad, May!" Dawn was the first to greet her, grinning with all her teeth. "You always show up nice with the Wallace Cup!"

"It helps to have such pretty Pokémon!" May cooed, lifting up her Bellossom like a baby. "You're just the cutest thing!" Bellossom chirped happily, soaking up the fuss.

"Same as ever, I see" Zoey laughed. Solidad and Drew were elsewhere, though May was sure they'd have watched her appeal from wherever they were, and so Zoey and Dawn were the only ones still waiting around backstage, with Paul stood moodily off to the side. "But still, very cute appeal May."

"Thanks," she giggled, covering her mouth with her fingers. "Hey, Paul! What did you think?" Dawn blinked. Paul cleared his throat, looking immediately uncomfortable.

"I don't know. I'm not a coordinator. I don't spend my time making my Pokémon look… cute." He was tense and spoke very bluntly, which made his words come over much harsher than he might have intended. May pursed her lips, irked, but ignored it, moving over to try and talk with him some more.

"What Pokémon are you going to use for your appeal then, Paul?" May continued, pressing him to make some kind of communication with her. Paul spared her a glance.

"Why do you care?" He questioned, grouchy from her persistence. May frowned, giving him a firm look. "What?"

"I'm trying to have a conversation with you, you _don't_ have to be rude" she pointed out briskly, sulky. "Entering your first contest can be scary, it's very different to battling and gym battles. I just wanted to wish you luck, and ask you about your appeal. And you were mean."

"Uhh" Paul looked between May and Dawn, almost awkwardly. "Okay? I didn't come here to make friends."

"Then why did you come?" May was nothing if not stubborn, rolling onto the balls of her feet and giving him a leading smile. "What made you want to enter this contest, Paul?" Her polite, easy tone was hard to find reason to pick at her. Paul paused, looking at her sceptically.

"Training" he explained gruffly. "I'm intrigued by some combination moves coordinators use. They might come in handy in battles."

"That's a really cool idea!" May nodded along with him encouragingly. This was not the first person she'd had to coax pleasant conversation out of. "I remember when I travelled with Ash, he definitely took some ideas from my contests. And I took ideas from his battles and put them in my contests! My favourite combination is one I picked up watching him on one of his Battle Frontier challenges, with this spiral of water and fire… it's a really powerful fusion move, and I love it!"

"That's nice" Paul grunted, not looking at her. May smiled, clicking her heels together. Dawn looked at her in awe.

"Have you challenged the Petalburg Gym yet?" May carried on seamlessly. Paul nodded, not verbalising his response. "Ah, I'm guessing you won then! My Dad is the gym leader there, he's really tough, so you must be good!"

"You're Norman's daughter?" Paul clarified. May nodded politely. "Ah." Sensing that might be as far as she could get that day, May turned to Dawn with a big smile.

"I'm going to see where Drew and Solidad ended up," she explained merrily, a little proud of herself. Zoey had been convinced Paul wasn't capable of polite conversation when they'd had lunch a few days ago, and Dawn had been a little unsure herself how well he'd react. "Thank you for talking with me Paul. Good luck in your appeal!"

"Nh." Paul made a little noise that could have been interpreted as an acknowledgement. May was pleasantly surprised by how polite he was, and walked away with a slight bounce in her step. Dawn looked at Paul, bewildered for a moment, which irked him. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You were… almost pleasant to her" Zoey chimed in, snickering. "I think we're all surprised."

"Don't get your hopes up, carrot top." Paul retorted snidely. "I don't waste my time on wimps like you."

"Paul," Dawn chastised him in a low, almost sad voice, and he looked at her for a moment before clicking his tongue and looking back up at the screen.

* * *

The appeals round ended with Solidad, whose beautiful, icy statues created by her Lapras bursting into shimmering light had filled the crowds with awe. It had been a very high standard of appeals. Drew's Drifblim performed well, giving off a show of aerial acrobatics mixed with a powerful ominous wind that left a shimmering trail of lilac drifting after the balloon Pokémon's routine. Dawn's Pachirisu gave a brilliant lights show with different coloured discharges, which left everyone speechless as to how long it took to train the Pokémon to pull off such a feat. Zoey's Gallade was powerful and direct, and clashed psycho cuts into a pool of water, giving off shimmering waves and powerful tidal movements, which Wallace particularly enjoyed. Finally, Paul, while a little rough, gave an immense show of strength with his Froslass, which simply meditated in the center of the stage and let her chilling, eerie power slide out and freeze the arena into a wasteland of hard ice. It was simple, but weirdly effective, and all moved on to the next round.

The battle match ups were intense from the beginning. In the very first round, Paul was matched with Drew, and there was immediately a strong tension between the two, brittle and sharp. Since their run in the previous day, Drew had not made a secret of his slightly harsh opinion to May, and May had been trying to talk him back, for Dawn's sake. Paul seemed pleased by the match up, and when they stood on opposite sides of the field, face to face, there was a tangible challenge between them, with locked eye contact and tight fists.

"Roserade, Houndoom," Drew called, throwing two pokeballs up. "Let's go!" Over the years, Drew had perfected his entrance. It would begin with a sweep of his hair, the pulling in of his arm, and when throwing, it was more like he was pushing the pokeballs upwards than throwing them forwards. It retained the most finesse, and had a little fan service thrown in. He wasn't blind to the blogs online that seemed to follow his every move, and the comments made by some of the more… dedicated followers.

"Electivire, Torterra," Paul chucked his own pokeballs a little less artistically. "Standby for battle."

The timer began, five minutes, and all hell broke loose.

Drew couldn't get a hit in. Faintly, he didn't think he'd ever been overpowered so completely before. Roserade was unable to get out from under Torterra's immense ground shaking game changer, earthquakes ripping the field apart and making it impossible for his two Pokémon to work together. Completely divided from each other, Houndoom and Roserade had to fight separately, which put him at a serious disadvantage. Paul could control not only who fought who, but stopped him from using any combinations he'd planned with the two. Drew grunted, slipping his planned combination of solarbeam and dark pulse into his back pocket for later.

Electivire kept shocking Houndoom, not giving the powerhouse time to charge up her nasty plots and hit back with the power Drew knew they wielded together. It seemed desperate and confusing, and like his own move of ripping up the field like he had against Norman had been used against him, although there was no way Paul could have known about that battle. Paul wasn't being pretty with his points, in fact, he was losing them for himself left right and center, sending off ruthlessly unrefined attacks that dealt lethal blows to his Pokémon, and Drew knew he'd lost before the timer hit halfway. He'd been combing every possible solution in his mind, trying to figure out some new angle, some way to combat this terrifying overpowering trainer, but found no solution and figured at this point, he was just being toyed with.

"Just as I thought," Paul taunted, giving him a long, hard stare and smirking a little to himself. "Pathetic." Drew felt his blood curdling, filled with an anger he'd never experienced before, a deep, unsettling shame that sat in the pit of his stomach, and a righteous fury that left him shaking.

"Houndoom, find Roserade" Drew ordered, his finger trembling as he pointed it. "I don't want you wasting any energy on defence or offense or anything like that until you are stood side by side with Roserade. Find her."

Houndoom's powerful legs kicked off the ground, pushing her into the piles of rubble that were separating the two, kicking away. Roserade was out of even Drew's line of sight, but he could hear her firing off attacks wildly to try and break down some of the debris barriers around her. It was costing him points, but it was progress. There was no point battling Paul like a coordinator, he had to meet him on his terms. Paul waited for a moment, observing, before cracking a smug grin.

"Electivire, grab hold of Houndoom," Paul called out carelessly. "And end it."

"No." Drew began to panic. Electivire approached quickly, its vine like limbs twisting around Houndoom and lifting her into the air. "Houndoom, use… use assist!" It was desperate and feeble and meek but it was all Drew could think to say. Houndoom twisted in Electivire's grip, charging up a white orb in front of her snapping jaws, and let off an almighty shard of ice that knocked straight into Electivire's face, blowing him back and staggering. Drew froze. Ice? None of his Pokémon knew ice type moves. "F-Follow it up with dark pulse!" The few nasty plot build ups Houndoom had managed to get were immensely helpful, and Houndoom shot out a powerful jet of dark energy that blew the electric type backwards, falling over onto its back.

"Impossible," Paul grunted. "Electivire, thunder!"

But it was too late. The debris had crumbled, and Roserade was visible. Battered, and weak, but stood side by side with Houndoom. Drew knew he didn't have time for Solar Beam, but he had time to take a risk.

"Houndoom, dark pulse. Roserade, petal dance." He'd never practiced this combination, it was new and could implode or could be meaningless, but it was an attack, and it might fend them off long enough to let them recover some points. The pink petals swirled around the blast of dark energy and began to glow in staticy, purple bursts of energy, a white glow coming off the strange reaction. Drew steadied himself, relaxing into the battle a little more. The combination hit, and Electivire was pushed back further, and Paul's points plummeted.

"Fucking contests," Paul scowled, muttering under his breath. "Ridiculous rules. Electivire, attention. Torterra, you too. Let's send back a combination of our own."

"What?" Drew steeled himself. "Roserade, get up a petal dance shield. Houndoom, nasty plot." He was back to his old techniques, his fail safe strategy. "Stay on your guard!"

"Electivire, thunder," Paul called. "Torterra, leaf storm!"

A cyclone of electric power and razor sharp leaves began to form in front of them, with a power unlike any move Drew had ever seen before. It was dominating the field, building power with every second he ignored it. Drew bit the inside of his cheek. Whoever took control of that move would win this battle. It was an instant knock out.

"Roserade, push that petal shield against it," he ordered quickly. "Houndoom, dark pulse. Let's power it up and send it back!"

"Electivire, protect," Paul added dismissively. Drew clenched his teeth a little too tightly around the innards of his mouth, and a coppery taste of blood filled his mouth. Swallowing thickly, he watched as his Pokémon supercharged an already immense attack, and had it deflected straight back at them, catching them and throwing them into this vortex of destruction that was taking over the whole arena. The timer buzzed, the cyclone ended, and his two Pokémon collapsed to the ground, knocked out.

" _The winner is Paul, of Veilstone!"_

Drew recalled his Pokémon numbly. He didn't remember the walk from the stage to backstage, or really hear anything anyone said around him. It was all blurry and strange and warped. When he next focused, Dawn and Solidad were sat either side of him, chanting on and on about how great his combination of dark pulse and petal dance was and how they never would have thought of that, and wow Houndoom was a real mvp wasn't she, and May just stood in front of him looking just as bewildered as he felt, her face a little pale and her lips puckered like she'd tasted something sour.

"I didn't stand a chance," Drew said suddenly, abruptly, cutting Dawn off right in the middle of something she was saying about his Roserade. May nodded slowly, blankly.

"No," May agreed, her voice weak. "You didn't." That was all he needed to hear. He let out a long breath, pressed his tongue against the cut inside his cheek, and nodded.

"Next time" he said gruffly, shaking himself off a little. "Next time I battle him he's going to lose."

"I don't doubt that for a second." Letting out a relieved sigh, May smiled. "Good. This is good."

"I don't understand," Dawn blinked, looking between them.

"I've been struggling with my battling lately," Drew shrugged, taking out the pokeballs of his two wounded companions and looking at them hard, frowning. "There's been a bit of a mental block."

"But that's fine," May chimed in, giving Dawn a smile. "Because now, you have something to aim at again. Nothing like a new rival to get you pumped up, right?"

"But Paul isn't a coordinator" Dawn continued, still baffled. May shook her head.

"Doesn't matter" she told her brightly.

"I'm going to drop my Pokémon off with Nurse Joy" Drew told them, still a little spaced.

"I'll go with you," Solidad offered. "I already had my round one match."

"Yeah, sounds good." Drew nodded at Solidad, beginning to relax. She would walk through the battle with him step by step, and help him figure out what to do next. Solidad was good at that. They left together, silent for a moment while Drew absorbed the events of the past ten minutes, and left May to beam after them and Dawn to wonder if they'd been speaking in a different language the past few minutes.

* * *

 **The Wallace Cup: Best Friends**

* * *

Round one over, and the second round approaching, there was a break where everyone could go get lunch and fix up their Pokémon before the next round began. Paul was deeply smug, walking past Drew with a low tut under his breath, leaving Drew to look at Dawn incredulously, and Dawn to apologise quietly as she shuffled off after him. Zoey took it upon herself to tell everyone horrible stories of what Paul had been like back in Sinnoh, and May listened carefully to each one. When Zoey told them about how Ash had beaten him in the Pokémon League and then they'd parted on good terms, May had nearly choked on her drink in surprise. She'd presumed Dawn not wanting Ash to know about Paul had been because there had been a bad end, but according to Zoey there were no real bad feelings left between them, but a lingering respect. Zoey encouraged May's sudden confusion eagerly, hoping she'd come to the same conclusion. Solidad kept her head ducked, laughing quietly at May's dilemma. Drew didn't say much. He didn't order any food, and focused intently on the glass of water he was toying with. Knowing there wasn't much he would be comfortable discussing in front of the others, May left the conversation she knew they would be having until later. There was an impatience lingering between them, though. She hated the way his hair was casting a shadow over his eyes, so she couldn't see him properly to try and gauge how he was doing.

In the second round, none of them were paired up. Everyone battled admirably, and Paul even seemed as though he was taking on what others around him were doing. He watched every contest battle and he was replicating some of the combinations he saw. He even seemed to take something from his battle with Drew - his Leaf Storm attack from Torterra was more angled and focused, like Roserade's petal dance. Solidad slipped her way through her battle with her usual grace and elegance, and May was not alone in noticing her skill had risen drastically again, pushing her up to a standard that left May a little breathless. Zoey was as powerful and endless as ever, weaving her way around her opponent's Pokémon with speed and light of foot, her Leafeon and her Gallade effortless in their sword dances and slick beauty. But of all of them, it was Dawn keeping May on her toes as she watched. Dawn was sending out wave after wave of intricate, well-rehearsed combinations that showcased her Pokémon with beauty and vibrancy, the climax of her battle leaving a tangible shiver along May's spine. They all battled so differently, Paul was brutal and calculating, Solidad was minimalist and graceful, Zoey was cool and artistic and then Dawn was battling with breath-taking synchronization and beauty. Any one of them would make a terrifying opponent in the quarterfinals, and May hardened herself as she waited for the quarter finals matchups. She hadn't yet faced coordinators with such skill while in Hoenn, bar maybe Harley, but that atmosphere had been different, and she could approach it in a style better suited to her. She had always been more confident with one on one battling, when focusing on the individual Pokémon rather than balancing the work of two. It didn't come as naturally to her.

Drew had long retreated to the audience, stating very firmly that backstage was meant for the contestants. In the back of her mind she could see him, leaning up against a wall at the very back of the hall, not taking one of the seats out of stubbornness, his arms folded tightly over his chest as he dwelled on his battle. May felt her chest constrict.

The quarter finals matchups paired Dawn with Zoey, but May, Solidad and Paul all seemed to avoid each other again. May's battle was first, and she felt herself struggling a little through the battle. There was a tension in the air she had never recognised before, and a hum of anticipation in the audience as she stepped out that was completely new to her. It threw her, and the tension translated into her battling. But Azumarill and Litleo made a great team, even throwing out her fire and water combination that she'd perfected with Blaziken and Wartortle, a new generation of her Pokémon grappling with her old tricks. The audience's screams when she won were deafening, the like of which she didn't think she'd ever received before. They were chanting, never her name, but Princess of Hoenn, Princess of Hoenn, Princess of Hoenn.

Zoey and Dawn's battle had a tension of its own that existed entirely separately from the audience. Their sibling like rivalry reached new heights, as Quilava bounded about the stage with a gorgeous abandon, Dawn's newly evolved Lopunny soaring around the stage, pushing off on her powerful hind legs and seeming to fly she was airborne so often, twisting as she floated like a ballerina. Zoey wasn't an easy target though, and her Mismagius and Glameow tore into Dawn's Pokémon like they were made of paper, crushing the childlike joy they created in their bouncing battle strategy. Dawn seemed ready for this, and was quick to turn it back around. Lobunny's ice beam and Quilava's flame wheel pulled off some of Dawn's signature attacks, knocking Zoey back further and further. They whittled down each other's points skilfully, bit by bit, and wore each other down slowly because they wouldn't let the other gain much more than an inch through the battle. Every attack was countered, and every defence was shattered. It felt more like a game of chess than a Pokémon battle, in a sense. They knew each other's battle style so well, they had to think a step beyond what might be thrown back at them. Vaguely, May was reminded of some of her own battles with Drew, but she knew if she voiced that to either of them she'd be mocked for being sentimental. The timer dripped seconds away, dragging them to the end of a brutal battle that didn't want to finish. With ten seconds left, it could easily have gone to either party, but Dawn immediately pulled out a crushing blow to Glameow before Zoey could respond fast enough, a speedy hit that no one saw coming, and May began to hold her breath. Dawn looked like she was holding her breath a little too, her chest tight as she called out a last move - Quilava pulled out an eruption that filled the stage with a gooey lava, and Lopunny cooled and hardened it into a jagged, onyx coloured stone from above, ice beam twisting in a spiral as she span from the air. It was beautiful and sharp and imposing, and with fragments of seconds to spare, Lopunny came down with an almighty mega kick, shattering the stone and sending shards of steaming black rock into Zoey's team, knocking them back and losing them those last few crucial points. The timer went, and Dawn breathed again.

"Dawn… beat me" Zoey breathed, as she recalled her Pokémon numbly. Dawn seemed just as shocked, stood silently with her Pokémon scurrying to her side, full of screeches of victory and congratulations. But Dawn just held her rival's eyeline, keeping that last bit of contact and tension between them a little longer, before bowing to her rival graciously and respectfully.

"Thank you Zoey" Dawn stated blankly. Zoey squinted, and there were a few tears in her eyes. "For everything."

* * *

The semi-finals were drawn before the end of the day. There were hums of excitement and anticipation from the audience as it was announced. Paul would battle Solidad, and Dawn would battle May. Zoey was very vocal about her opinion that she couldn't call it either way in either battle, and that she couldn't see a clear winner in any of them. While Solidad held the advantage of contest skill, and her Pokémon were powerful and high levelled enough to take on Paul's, Paul had the advantage of knowing six on six battles better than anyone else in the cup, and had seemed to grow in strength from battle to battle, sponging up information and adapting to contest battling as the cup progressed. May suspected Dawn had been giving him pointers here and there. The matchup between May and Dawn was one that had happened before, twice before, and both times in Wallace Cups. Their first final battle in Sinnoh had ended with Dawn blasting through May's mirror coat defences with a newly evolved Glaceon, back before May had really found her place in battling and when Dawn was fighting scrappy to regain her confidence. And then when May re-emerged from Kalos and met her in Johto in the Wallace Cup semi-finals, May had breezed past her seemingly effortlessly, as she had the whole competition. She's been preparing for this one contest for so long, and so secretively. Dawn had lost all context of her friend as a battler, and May had returned completely renewed in her approach. It held an element of surprise and unwavering confidence that had ebbed away with time. Now, they stood evenly and knew each other better, both as close friends and rivals. And that knowledge in each other was what would make it so difficult for anyone to call a victor.

Anticipation in the group had reached a point it usually did before the final day of battles, but to a renewed height with the new rules of six on six battling. Zoey spent time alone with Dawn, prepping her for her next battle. Solidad locked herself away, researching Paul's previous, documented battles. No one was sure where Paul was, but they were sure he was training.

"Are you nervous?"

May looked up sharply, her thoughts cut short. Drew offered her what she was sure was supposed to be a smile, but came out as a grimace. She'd zoned out; she did that a lot before a big battle. They were in his Pokémon center dorm room, eating supermarket bought sandwiches because neither could face the public eye at that moment. "Sorry, that's stupid. Of course you are."

"It's strange." May said each word slowly and deliberately. "The audience, today. They gave off a weird vibe."

"They really got behind you, huh" Drew agreed, shrugging. "Princess of Hoenn. You're the last Hoenn native in the Hoenn Wallace Cup. All the reports in Coordinators Weekly and on the contest blogs online have you as one of the favourites to win the whole season, May. It's not surprising. It's rare for a home-grown champion." Swallowing thickly, May spent a little longer chewing at her bread crust. "Most coordinators never win in their home region. It usually comes together after travelling around a bit. Don't you remember the uproar around Zoey, and Solidad when they won?"

"And Hoenn takes contests so seriously too," May added, grunting a little as she made herself more comfortable, sat cross legged on the floor. Drew gave her a nod, sat on a small stool by the window. "It's just as big as the league. The pressure… It's kinda huge, huh?"

"Don't think about it" Drew advised carelessly, giving her a long look. "You'll overthink it. Just do what you always do. I reckon you can beat Dawn. Solidad, you've beaten before. Paul…" Drew paused, scowling. "Well, you've had a chance to see how he battles. And you'll have a chance to watch him go for the six on six with Solidad. Watch carefully."

"How are you doing?" May asked quietly, looking up at him carefully. Drew hesitated, before letting out a long breath.

"It's irritating" he admitted briskly. "But its how it is. I know I let my Pokémon down. And I embarrassed myself. But… I can't change that now."

"You didn't let anyone down," May told him firmly, discarding the wrappers of her finished food and scooting across the carpeted floor to sit by his feet, perching her chin on his knee. He raised an eyebrow at her. "And you didn't embarrass yourself. Paul… he's wicked powerful. In a way that coordinators aren't used to. There isn't a single bit of anyone anywhere who saw that match who thought that you performed badly."

"I did." Drew corrected dismissively. Sighing, May shut her eyes for a moment. "I'm not going to pretend it didn't happen. I'm going to redouble my training, and I'm going to correct my mistakes at the Grand Festival. That's how I fix this."

"Is this going to push you, or make you feel worse?" May asked awkwardly, her voice a little muffled. "Just give me a heads up of where you are right now."

"I'm not going to quit coordinating" Drew clarified quickly, and May looked up suddenly, her face filling with a great, beaming smile that settled Drew's mind even more. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do next but I'll figure it out."

"I have every faith," May said brightly, with a softness to her voice that caught him off guard. "I have every faith that you, of all people, can get past a bit of a slump. You're going to blow everyone away."

"Naturally," Drew scoffed, looking away to hide the colour that reached his cheeks. "What else do you expect?" May smiled gently, pulling her feet underneath herself to stand up, and rested her hands on his shoulders to balance herself. He lifted one hand to touch hers gently, frowning, but then smiled as she leant in to kiss him sweetly and chastely.

"Same as ever," she grinned, pulling back and dusting herself off. "Ugh. I feel nauseous. A six on six contest battle."

"You're good at improv," he reminded her, standing up to meet her, giving her that solid, piercing smile that always cut through her. It had been a rarity, once. She received it maybe once, or twice, in Kanto. And then a few more times in Johto, but always sparsely. As time had gone on though, she would turn and see it focused on her when she wasn't paying attention, or she'd see it when running backstage after pulling off an appeal, or like at Christmas, where it felt like she saw it every single day. May looked down for a moment, biting her lip to stop herself from grinning. "What?"

"Nothing," she replied gently, trying to mask a giggle. "It's really nothing."

"Alright," he gave her an odd, quizzical glance, before reaching up to tuck a little hair out of her face that had fallen forward as she ducked her head. Her cheeks flushed pink, and he leant in neatly to kiss her. It was less gentle, and less chaste, and so much less timid than she'd expected. His arms circled her back, and May could feel his heart beating loudly against her chest - though it could have been hers. It left her face numb, an odd sensation trembling across her cheeks and down her neck, but her mind was too blank to focus on it. She wasn't sure when they wound up lying down, or when he lost his jacket, or when their shoes fell away, or when her hair became loose, but she didn't regret that they had happened. His hair just felt soft under her fingers, and his lips were gentle at her mouth, and her cheek, and her jaw, and her neck.

It was a knock at the door that broke them apart, leaping away from each other with burning blushes, stumbling feet and the clearing of throats. May could almost feel her face throb with colour, watching with a nervous quiver as Drew coughed, walking straight towards the door without looking at her, his hair messy and his jacket crumpled somewhere on the floor. How he kept his voice level and calm as he opened the door, May wasn't sure. She knew she wouldn't have been able to.

"Dawn," he greeted warily, clearly annoyed. May looked over sharply, running her fingers through her hair in a vague attempt to neaten it. It felt weird having her hair down, it tickled the bottom of her neck.

"Hi Drew!" The familiar voice chirped, and May made her way across so she was visible. Dawn was grinning wide, shadowed by an awkwardly hovering Zoey, whom didn't know Drew all that well. "Ah, May! You are here after all, we tried your room first, but..." Dawn's voice slowed, as though something was just occurring to her. "We just… er, presumed. Are you guys alright?"

"We're fine" Drew replied tightly, frowning. He stepped back to let May move in front of him. "What is it?" May didn't trust herself to speak yet, so just blinked quietly at the two girls. Dawn began to snicker, and Zoey coughed into her hand to hide a laugh.

"I just, er, wanted to make sure the air was clear before, er, our battle…" Dawn broke into a long, snickering laugh, almost cackling. "Our, er, our battle tomorrow."

"O-Of course, Dawn" May mumbled, aware her cheeks were still very noticeably bright. "Why are… are you laughing?"

"Oh honey, we're sorry." Zoey swallowed heavily, letting out short, gasps of laughter that she was struggling to hold back. "We'll - we'll get out of your neck- hair. I definitely said hair."

"I can't stop looking at it," Dawn grinned, leaning into May keenly and putting a finger under her chin, lifting her head and exposing her jawline. "That's gonna be purple in the morning, ey, Drew?"

"Dawn, don't…" Zoey couldn't contain herself anymore, bursting into loud, spitting laughter, doubling over a little. May looked blankly at her friends, oblivious to what they were referring to, Drew felt his ears turn crimson, folding his arms defensively and looking solidly away from any of them.

"Are we allowed to shut the door in their face?" Drew muttered to May bitterly. May blinked obliviously, looking at him with a frown.

"What…" she was silenced by Dawn's fingers, clasping over her mouth as she rubbed a few tears of laughter out of her eyes.

"If you need concealer tomorrow, I think we're the same skin shade" Dawn informed her gleefully, before pulling back and holding Zoey for support. "We'll… we'll go. We're just gonna…"

"We're gonna go," Zoey finished, both of her hands pressed into her face to try and stem the hysterics. "Let's…" she cackled. "Let's go."

"Drew, what are they..." May frowned, a little upset at being left out on the joke. Dawn and Zoey were staggering away, and when Drew shut the door with a loud slam, they could be heard bursting into a new round of boisterous laughter.

"May…" Drew hesitated, and then sighed. "May, I… You're going to have a bruise on your neck. You're probably going to want to cover it with make up in the morning."

"Why would..." she paused, understanding. "Oh. Right. That. Yes. Well, um, I guess that, um, that happened."

"Yes." Drew didn't look at her. "It did." They hovered for a moment, neither of them particularly able to think of anything else to say. "Do you want to, um, talk about it?"

"I… I think I should, um, go to bed" May mumbled incoherently, Drew exhaled, relieved, and nodded along with her. "But, um, I'll see you in the morning, I guess."

"Right…" Drew was still a little turned away from her, so May hovered for a moment, wondering, but it was fruitless. Headed for the door, she began to turn the handle. "Wait."

"Hn?" She turned back to him quickly. "Is everything..?" He'd moved across to her and silenced her with another kiss; it was gentler, and sweeter, and almost apologetic. It ended as quickly as it began, full of restraint and boundaries.

"Sorry." His voice was low and a little husky, leaving a tremble in May's knees. "I didn't want you to leave like that."

"Don't apologise" May told him weakly. "Really. Don't apologise." Drew gave her a surprised, but pleased, smile, arching his eyebrow at her. She fumbled with the handle clumsily, and let the door open behind her, letting him kiss her again to say goodnight.

* * *

"Lapras," Solidad called, a little steel in her voice. "Sheer cold!" Lapras responded eagerly, and slowly ice began to crawl around the stage, climbing towards Paul's Pokémon threateningly, and if it hit his Pokémon he knew it would be an instant knock out. Pidgeot soared overhead menacingly, tackling his Honchkrow head on, while Ursaring stood helpless on the floor, unable to see any way to escape by himself.

"Ursaring, earthquake" Paul ordered stiffly. "Break that stage!"

"Not a chance," Solidad countered quickly. "Ice beam!"

"Did you really think it would come down to this, their last two Pokémon each?" May breathed, nervous. Zoey nodded rigidly next to her. They were sat in the stands, observing the match alongside the audience, with Drew sat silently on the other side of May. He hadn't quite forgiven Zoey yet.

"As powerful as Paul is, Solidad is smart" Zoey commentated knowingly. "It doesn't surprise me at all. If anything, it looks like she has him on the ropes." Dawn was somewhere backstage, waiting for the moment the victor was declared so she could greet Paul.

"Huh," May paused, pursing her lips together tightly. "Did she say anything about him?"

"Not yet, she won't stop talking about how misunderstood Paul is." Zoey pulled a face, May sighed, and Drew looked across at them, baffled.

"Who…?" He raised an eyebrow in question, and May laughed awkwardly.

"Zoey and I… have had a bit of a shared goal for a while now" May explained unevenly. "I mean, if you saw her… back when I first met her, I mean."

"We both think she has feelings for someone else." Zoey gave a derisive snort of a laugh. "A very particular someone else."

"Not Kenny?" Drew's voice was tinged with disbelief, and May shook her head, giggling.

"Not that someone else. Someone _else_ " May encouraged, tilting her head pointedly. "Wears a hat. Has a Pikachu. Loud."

"You're kidding," Drew rolled his eyes, leaning back in his seat. "There are people in this world able to muster up romantic feelings for that mess of a human?"

"Hey, don't be mean about Ash" May pouted, jabbing him with her elbow. "He's a great guy, and he and Dawn were so cute together!" Zoey nodded along with her empathetically.

"All their little high touches," Zoey let out a long, heavy breath. "And their little catchphrase. Not many couples have a catchphrase."

"I think it was always more Dawn's, and Ash sort of muscled in on it." May pressed her lips together to stop herself from smiling. "Yaknow, before I met Dawn, I thought he had a thing for this girl Misty, that he knew back in Kanto. But… I don't know. Something felt different with them."

"You're hopeless" he shook his head, snorting as he felt her puff up next to him. "Don't meddle and play match maker. Leave them alone."

"Do you prefer it when people leave couples alone, Drew?" Zoey grinned, not taking her eyes off the battle in front of them, and Drew's face fell like a geodude in the ocean. "Just an observation."

"H-Hey!" May sat forward, gasping. "Honchkrow!"

The three immediately looked up, Honchkrow hitting into Pidgeot with a steel wing and sending him flying back, crumbling into the sheer cold Lapras had built up. Pidgeot was out, and Lapras was going two on one. Her points were higher than Paul's, but that knock out took Solidad's resolve to pieces. Her face had fallen in on itself, and her eyes screwed shut for a moment as she recalled Pidgeot, crushed.

"This is over," Paul taunted. They both knew he was right. Both Ursaring and Honchkrow charged at Lapras, taking out the aquatic Pokémon brutally. There was no space to recover. There was no room to fight back. It was the closest anyone had gotten to touching Paul the whole competition, and it was over. Solidad had her team knocked out, and Paul was the victor.

"Oh man," Zoey sighed, clenching her hands together. "That's rough."

"So… either me, or Dawn, against Paul in the final." May's voice was a little breathy, but resolved, and she stood abruptly. "I best go. I should start getting ready."

"I want to see Dawn before the match," Zoey echoed, standing with her, and Drew stood as well.

"I'll come too" he said simply, shrugging. His hand slipped into May's, and she squeezed it gratefully.

* * *

The match opened like any other May had fought in. The timer began, and Pokémon jumped forward, prepared for battle.

"Altaria, Floette, take the stage!"

"Mamoswine, Togekiss, spotlight!"

Every move felt like it had been premeditated. The two girls as they attacked, seemed to fight in sync with one another. It was clear they'd both been influenced a lot by Ash in their battle techniques, because big clashes of powerful offensive attacks was creating carefully crafted explosions across the field, heated and intense. But Dawn was better at having her Pokémon work together against May, and May was better at throwing moves back in Dawn's face, taking her combinations and using them against her. Altaria was able to keep Togekiss busy in the sky, but Floette wasn't strong enough to take on Mamoswine alone, and was the first casualty. Beautifly came out next, and while the type advantage she'd given Dawn felt stupid to the audience, a well-timed psychic knocked Dawn's Mamoswine out before she could blink, the sheer strength of one of her oldest Pokémon not something to underestimate. It was a back and forth, each struggling to hold dominance, and struggling to keep up the contest side of the battling alongside the power plays they were flinging at each other. They whittled down each other's teams seamlessly.

When Quilava went down, and it became just two Pokémon left each, Dawn was left with Pachirisu and Lopunny, and May was left with Blaziken and Venusaur. Pachirisu and Lopunny were working in sync, cleverly combining ice beams and discharges into devastatingly powerful and beautiful attacks, but Blaziken was knocking them back with well-aimed blaze kicks, and Venusaur had frenzy plant in place, restricting their movement and trapping them in her web of vines.

"That's enough," Dawn announced, frustrated. Their points were about equal, and the timer was beginning to run low. "Lopunny, are you ready?"

The Sinnoh native Pokémon looked back at her trainer with a furtive nod, solidly planting her feet into the ground. Pachirisu ran forward, using his discharge to keep Lopunny guarded for a moment as they prepared. May inhaled sharply. She hadn't expected Dawn to throw this at her yet - it took time to bring out that evolution in Pokémon, it took training, it took practice. She'd been lucky, with Blaziken, they'd achieved it so early because they'd had that experience in Johto without the stones, and she knew Drew had had the same luck. The ease and style with which Dawn flicked back her hair, revealing a black choker with her keystone embedded into it, sent a wave of nausea through May's stomach.

"We can play that game too," May called back, grinding her teeth. Both Venusaur and Blaziken had the ability to mega evolve now, and picking out which of them to transform would be vital to the end of this match. If she picked Blaziken, she picked speed and aggression, which had been proven not to work against Dawn. But Venusaur… "Venusaur, are you ready?"

"Lopunny, join your heart with mine!" Dawn's fingers pressed against her keystone, a faint light glowing from her neck. Lopunny took on a similar glow, a silvery chain and milky white orb suddenly visible through her fur.

"Venusaur, let's bond our feelings together!" May called, tucking her hair around her ear and brushing the keystone at her earlobe. Venusaur let out a great shout, filling with light.

The battle continued. Mega Lopunny was incredibly powerful in a way that reminded May of Mega Blaziken. Her powerful legs sent her soaring in the sky, crashing down in front of them with a deafening crush. It had a grace and elegance that May hadn't expected, twirling with a flourish and beating back Blaziken with her long, powerful ears. Venusaur wasn't there to be pushed around either. Frenzy plant grew thicker and faster, and wound itself around Pachirisu, knocking out the small Pokémon quickly. Blaziken tried to keep Lopunny at bay with sky uppercuts and overheats but they were getting lost in the maze of trunk like tentacles that had absorbed the whole stage. It was too much, and ungainly, and May knew this left her with only one option.

"We have to knock out that Lopunny!" May told her Pokémon stiffly. "Venusaur, throw out a petal dance. Blaziken, try and land a blaze kick!" Her eyes flickered to the timer - she only had a handful of seconds to either throw the points or knock out that mega Pokémon, and her odds were slim. "Quickly!" If she had more time, she knew she could win. If it wasn't a point's based battle, if it was based on the stronger Pokémon, if it was anything other than a contest, May knew she would have won.

The timer ended, and Dawn had won comfortably. May took a second to shut her eyes tightly and breathe before tending to her Pokémon.

"You were so great," she told Blaziken earnestly. "You always are. Thank you." Venusaur grumbled unhappily next to her, so May pressed her hand to the grass type's forehead as a light shone somewhere and she reverted to her normal state. "What a frenzy plant, Venusaur. You must be exhausted, you were so wonderful. I'm sorry I let you both down." Her Pokémon began to protest, but she recalled them to their pokeballs and turned to face Dawn, who was hugging and spinning her Lopunny, still in her mega form, the adrenalin not wearing off yet. Dawn stopped, looking over to May with a wild grin, though pausing and restraining herself so to not be rude.

"May," Dawn began, but May shook her head to silence her.

"You were great!" May praised, forcing a big smile. "Really. You're one of the most natural contest battlers I know, I'm not surprised you took to six on six so well, or that you won. You really are a wonderful coordinator. But this isn't over, we'll settle it at the Grand Festival."

"You got it!" Dawn beamed, laughing openly in a bright eyed glow that lit up her face. May nodded, much less jubilant, and retreated from the stage, her arms clasped around herself tightly as she shuffled away.

* * *

 **The Wallace Cup: The Finale**

* * *

"Who would have thought?" Zoey sat back comfortably in her seat, her head tilted to the side a little. "Dawn and Paul in the final together."

"It's going to be one hell of a match," May agreed, a little subdued. She took a swig from a bottle of water. "It don't see it ending well."

They were sat in the stands, with Solidad and Drew, waiting for the two come out from backstage and take their positions for the final match. After May had lost her semi-finals, there had been a brief break for Dawn and Paul to heal their Pokémon and plan out their teams, during which Zoey took Dawn lunch and talked through her battle strategy, and Solidad and Drew went back to the dorm rooms with May, so she could change out of her contest dress and into her travelling clothes. They had both been surprised that she didn't cry, as she tended to after a big loss, but instead she just splashed some water on her face, took out her contact lenses and replaced her glasses, keen to not talk about it and get right back to the contest hall.

"How was she when you spoke to her backstage?" Solidad asked Zoey calmly, squinting a little as she looked up at the big screen, which was currently going through a highlights reel of both Paul and Dawn's battles so far in the contest.

"Nervous" Zoey admitted with a shrug. "He's a powerful trainer, and I think she doesn't just want to beat him as a coordinator, she wants to impress him as a battler. There's a little bit of earning his respect going on in her mind."

"That's a lot of pressure to put on yourself," May commented sadly, anxious for her friend. "She… I don't know. She shouldn't need to prove herself."

"That's what I told her." Zoey pulled a face. "But she won't listen to me, so I let it slide for now. She has bigger things to worry about than whether or not we like him. Ah, they're coming out, look..."

Dawn looked nervous as the camera caught her face, walking out onto the stage with a wobbly grin and a shaky wave to the audience. Her skirt was clenched tightly in her free hand, and the hard look in her eyes was practically screaming her discomfort. Zoey made a dry comment about how it was the same body language she had as when reassuring them there was no need to worry. Piplup was out already, perched atop her head with his chest puffed out in a confident bravado. When the camera looked to Paul, his face was just as passive and blank as ever. He didn't wave or make any acknowledgement of the audience, but gave Dawn a firm stare that sent a collective shudder through the four of them. It was smug and authoritative, and none of them could ignore the silent challenge he was giving her. It seemed to steel her resolve though.

Piplup was up first, alongside Quilava. Paul called out Ursaring and Nidoking. The battle began aggressively. Paul's two Pokémon were physically much stronger than Dawn's, and much larger and imposed themselves firmly, taking up most of the stage. Quilava and Piplup were left to dart around their feet, speeding between them as best they could, Quilava inflicting a useful burn on Ursaring and Piplup blasting Nidoking with super effective, spiralling and sparkling bubble beams. Paul was losing points, and while Piplup and Quilava had taken more damage, Paul's points were dwindling quickly.

"Dawn is battling so well!" Zoey gushed, enthralled. Solidad nodded in agreement, humming her approval of the bluette girl. Dawn didn't seem to agree from where she stood, the nerves pouring off her almost tangible, mixed with an anxious sweat.

"Half an hour is a long time in a contest battle," Drew reminded them tersely. "This is far from over."

Quilava got knocked out by a rogue earthquake from Nidoking that Piplup dodged at the last second by using his whirlpool to ride to safety. By the time Dawn had sent out Mamoswine, Piplup had landed his watery attack straight into the offending Nidoking and sent it backwards, leaving Paul to pull out his Froslass. Suddenly sizes didn't seem so intimidating to Dawn. Mamoswine could grapple with Ursaring plenty, and Piplup had always been her most resourceful Pokémon, and she was confident he could manage the slippery ghost type.

"She's relaxing," May gave a short sigh of relief. "She's calming down."

"Maybe too soon," Solidad frowned. Froslass was beginning to spin circles around Piplup, leaving him to shoot bubble beams into thin, empty air, and burst unimpressively against the wall. It was clumsy and difficult, and Dawn was bleeding points.

"Is Paul… trying to wear down her points?" Drew paused, confused. "Why? In none of the other battles has he bothered with them. He's just gone for all out offense and knocked them out."

"Maybe Dawn isn't… the only one with something to prove" May commented measuredly. "Maybe… he's trying to prove something to her, too." Zoey gave her a long, hard look, and May shrugged, taking another swig from her water bottle. "Don't look at me like that Zoey. As much as I wanted her to be with… well… I have to say I don't dislike him."

"You don't, huh?" Zoey let out a short, sharp breath, and leant forward, watching the battle a little more closely. "Well maybe if you'd met the guy I met in Snowpoint, you'd think differently."

"Zoey…" May felt her voice fade a little. "Well maybe that's the point. Maybe that isn't the guy Dawn is battling right now, and maybe we owe Dawn some trust. She has a different opinion of him, so she must see something we haven't."

"Just… don't come crying to me when he turns out to be a total dick" Zoey grumbled dismissively. Sighing, May fell back into her seat in a bit of a huff, refocusing her attention on the battle. Piplup was charging up a whirlpool that completely swamped an unsuspecting Ursaring that had been preoccupied with Mamoswine. It was becoming clear that Paul wasn't used to doubles battles, and Dawn swapping which Pokémon was attacking which was a good way to throw him off balance when he wasn't totally focused.

Time ticked away. As the battle progressed, it became clear that there was no way Dawn's Pokémon were tough enough to knock out all of Paul's in half an hour, and that she would need to deploy some kind of lengthy endurance tactic to get past him, so she changed up her style about ten minutes in. She didn't focus on hitting hard anymore, but instead hit pretty, with clever combinations and throwing Paul's weight against him. He was ungraceful enough to have it work against him, and by the time she'd called on Togekiss, he had half the points she did. But there was plenty of time for him to get a knock out, and she only had three Pokémon left: Togekiss, Pachirisu and Lopunny. Pachirisu was small enough to glide around on Togekiss' back, allowing them a lot of flexibility and the ability to control the pace of battle a little more, which allowed Dawn to slow it down a bit, and let the timer run a little longer. She was hopeful she could wear out all of his points, but if she couldn't, she needed the timer to be going as fast as possible.

Togekiss was sending out aura spheres that combined with Pachirisu's discharge to create glowing blue balls of light, colliding with Paul's Pokémon and while somewhat ineffectual, they were showering the stage in a glittery blue haze. Pachirisu's super fang, when powered up with Togekiss' sky attack, became an aggressively powerful jab from such a small, weak seeming Pokémon that knocked Paul back a step or two. She was beginning to swing circles around Torterra and Magmortar, manipulating the moves they threw out and twisting them back with clever combinations and rebuttals, and even Paul seemed a little taken back with the slickness of her moves and the endurance of her Pokémon. Every time he landed a hit, it seemed to cost him points, because she would react so quickly and quirkily and left the audience cheering. Everyone in the stadium seemed to be behind her, screaming and cheering that this girl who's only contest title had been a Wallace Cup two years prior was going to take down a repeat league contestant.

"How is she doing this?" May breathed, completely spellbound. "Honestly, I've never seen anything like it. Paul just… walked the whole competition, but Dawn has him under her thumb right now."

"Because she knows how he battles," Zoey ventured quickly. "She travelled with Ash when Paul was his main competition. She'll have watched every single battle they had, and others that Paul had as well."

"In contests, it's all about anticipating the next move, and pulling off a counter that's appealing" Drew nodded, agreeing. "She's able to do that because she knows what he's going to pull out next. Brute strength doesn't work in a contest when it's anticipated."

"That's why everyone else lost so quickly to him," Solidad agreed, folding her arms tightly. "No one else would know what to expect."

May let out another long, shuddering breath as Paul's points edged closer to zero. It would take one more big hit, and Paul would be out. Paul seemed to realise this as well and began to get antsy.

"Magmortar, send out a fire blast and aim close!" Paul growled. Magmortar lined up, preparing.

"Don't let him!" Dawn smiled as she thrust a pointed finger forward. "Let's get that blue haze back up and lose the visibility. Aura sphere! Discharge!"

"Not so fast," Paul combatted quickly. "Torterra, distract them with leaf storm!"

"No…" Dawn bit her lip hard. "Dodge, Togekiss! Use sky attack to get your speed up; carry Pachirisu out of there!" The two Pokémon flew upwards, high and concealed, and the blue haze they created together began to ascend down onto the stage, orbs of light raining down alongside them and colliding into Magmortar. Thrown back a little, Magmortar shot blind, aiming upwards with a blisteringly hot five pointed fire blast. There was a moment of silence and anticipation as everyone in the audience wondered if it could possibly have hit, but then a pair of high pitched screeches and a shadow plummeting into the stage floor gave them their answer. Togekiss and Pachirisu were out, leaving Dawn with only her Lopunny. Dawn was visibly shaken as she recalled her Pokémon, thanking them quietly. The audience bubbled with shouts of encouragement, and Dawn looked up at the crowds with a faint surprise. But she smiled, reassured, and threw out her last pokeball.

"This is it…" Paul hardened. He knew from watching her battle with May it was better not to underestimate that Lopunny, even if it was two on one. Dawn gave him a wicked grin. She only needed one big hit, and he'd be gone.

"Lopunny, let's not waste anyone's time here," Dawn called out flippantly, almost teasingly, as she reached for her neck. Paul winced. "Join your heart with mine… and mega evolve!"

Light once again consumed the stage. Lopunny stood proudly, revelling in the light and her own growth, her lips lengthening and her fur bristling. Mega Lopunny was always a sight to behold, and it left the audience breathless.

"Now," Dawn began, pulling her arm to the side. "Jump!"

Mega Lopunny soared high, as she always did, twisting and somersaulting in the air gracefully. Paul called out his best long range attacks, Leaf Storm and Fire Blast, but Lopunny seemed to pirouette around them, dancing in the face of disaster, twisting around flames and ducking under the cyclone of leafs. This was it, her last big chance.

"Use ice beam!" She ordered quickly. "But spin!"

Lopunny was facing down, about to descend due to the inevitability of gravity, but instead sent out a beam of blue light, spiralling alongside the twister of icy energy she was sending downwards. Paul sent up attacks to stem it, almost desperately, but they flew down with a kind of power he had never anticipated coming from a Lopunny, of all Pokémon. He began to grind his teeth together, knowing Torterra wasn't fast enough to dodge. The twirls of ice collided with his Pokémon, and Paul lost his remaining points.

Dawn had won, with seven minutes and fifty three seconds to spare.

The audience were on their feet. There was stamping and screaming and uproar, and the noise was so deafening it swallowed the arena whole. Wallace and his fellow judges tried to speak, their voices coming through like whispers in the loudspeakers because everything was so overpowered by the volume of the crowds. The two competitors stood mutely, absorbing the sound quietly, neither looking at the other but at the commotion that surrounded them. Eventually, they each peeled away, ignoring the judges requiring them to hang on and wait while they settled the follow ups. Dawn knew if she turned up to the closing ceremonies she'd get her ribbon. For that moment though, the noise was too much, and Mega Lopunny was bounding after her, full of adrenalin and light and awe, and the pair of them broke into messy, happy tears the moment they were backstage. It wasn't like it was the grand festival, or like this was the end result of her dream, but for Dawn it marked a serious, lengthy progression. She had beaten Zoey, May, and even Paul.

Dawn felt indestructible. This year, she vowed to herself as she began to stifle her chaotic sobs, she would take home the ribbon cup.

* * *

 **Aftermath**

* * *

"You were incredible," Zoey gushed. She was repeating herself. She'd already said it once, when they found Dawn at the end of the match, and once again while them got ready for the closing ceremonies. She'd said it again Dawn received her ribbon and again when she showed her friends the pretty teal spoils with a giggle and a flourish. She'd said it again when buying the first round of drinks, and passing Dawn a particularly flowery looking cocktail, and again as she slumped drunkenly many drinks later, her arm around the back of Dawn's chair as she poured out proud, hiccupping praise. Paul was noticeably absent, which had set the short haired girl at ease. "To think you're the same little Dawn from that contest in Jubilife. And that ice beam, from Lopunny… to think that a little Buneary me and Glameow took out produced that win." Zoey sniffed. "I'm proud of ya kid."

"I couldn't tell," Dawn teased, wiggling her eyebrows. "I think you're drunk, Zoey. Maybe I should get you to bed."

"Don't get any funny ideas," Zoey yawned, giving her a stern, sloppy look. "Candice would murder me."

"I… I had no funny ideas, whatsoever" Dawn replied meekly. "But wow, there's an insight into your life I didn't have before. Huh. How about that?"

"Oh give over, you totally knew" Zoey began to stand, a little shakily, and Dawn took her under the arm quickly, laughing merrily.

"Yeah," she wrinkled her nose. "I guess I did. I'm gonna take her to bed guys, see you all in the morning!"

"Goodnight Dawn" Solidad smiled, giving a little wave, and Drew nodded his acknowledgement.

"Goodnight guys!" May chirped happily. "Well done again! See you in the morning!" The pair staggered off together, Dawn jammed under Zoey's arm as she propped the older girl up, and the three remaining watched them leave with an amused smile.

"Aw, remember in Blackthorn when you guys did that for me?" Solidad leant on her hands a little, very delicately sipping her own drink. "Because I don't."

"You were so funny," May giggled, nursing her drink absently. She'd only had one or two, suspicious of alcohol but more open to it after the amount of wine she'd encountered in Kalos. "It was an entertaining night, that's for sure."

"You think it was entertaining, I carried most of her weight" Drew scoffed, very sober, having stuck to soft drinks. He was getting a ferry first thing in the morning back to the mainland with May, and he did not like the idea of combining his sea sickness with a hangover. "Much less entertaining when you're the one doing the hard work."

"Are you saying that I was particularly heavy?" Solidad arched an eyebrow pointedly, and Drew flushed for a moment, embarrassed.

"There's a difference between weight and deadweight" Drew pointed out quickly. "You were almost paralytic, so it must have been dead weight."

"Nice save, jackass" Solidad quipped darkly. May stifled an awkward laugh as Drew stared solidly at the table for a while. "I'm headed to bed. I've got a date with a big glass of water and some aspirin; I've got some training to do tomorrow if we're going to be facing Dawn in the Grand Festival."

"Right" Drew nodded. "We've all got work to do." May didn't say anything, instead pursing her lips and draining the half of her drink she had left quickly, feeling the spirits infused in the pink, nameless cocktail Dawn had forced on her swim through her head quickly, clouding the jab she suddenly felt in her chest quickly. She didn't notice Drew and Solidad exchange a look when her empty glass slammed down on the table a little too hard. "Do you need someone to carry you back to the dorms again, Solidad, or are you still a sentient being?" Drew flicked his hair a little, giving Solidad a smug grin, and she gave him a gentle hit to the back of the head and a narrowed glare.

"I'm perfectly fine, thank you" Solidad replied frostily. "You're a real shit sometimes, honey."

"I learnt from the best," he mocked. "Night, Sol."

"Night guys," Solidad stood, ruffling May's hair a little, leaving the other girl to give her a big grin. "Will I see you in the morning?"

"Probably, we'll get food at the Center before we head for the docks" May told her brightly. "Dawn wanted everyone to get breakfast together before we went our separate ways, so…"

"I'll see you then!" Solidad finished, smiling. "Don't stay up too late kids."

"Wouldn't dream of it" Drew rolled his eyes, earning himself another playful whack to the back of the head as Solidad headed out, laughing as she went. May giggled behind her fingers, beginning to collect the glasses that littered the table into a more organised row to make them easier to clear later. Drew watched her fidget patiently, waiting for her to talk. She didn't, and he sighed.

"You're upset" he ventured lightly. May shrugged.

"No more than I have been after any other contests I've lost" she told him firmly. "It's fine."

"No, you're upset" Drew continued nonchalantly. "Because it wasn't just another contest. It was Dawn and it was going to be your fifth ribbon and it's gotten in your head a little." May paused, giving him a sidelong look.

"This is supposed to be the season that I win. I've planned that for a year and a half." Her voice was meek and quiet. "And this contest… with you, and Solidad, and Dawn… it felt like a warm up. Like, like a practice round for the Grand Festival. And she just blew me away, you know?"

"It wasn't that big a margin between you" Drew reminded her quickly. "It was just that last match up with Venusaur that went wrong. If it hadn't, it could have gone the other way."

"Well, it didn't." May's hands hit her lap and she let out a long, tired breath. "I'm done. I need sleep. I can't think straight right now. I really don't want to talk about it."

"Alright," he stood up slowly, offering her his hand. She took it tightly. "I'll walk you to your room."

"Thank you," May gave him an apologetic smile. She felt mean, feeling beaten up over a loss that paled in comparison to his. It was selfish to be sad, but she couldn't help it. So much preparation had been invested into this season, and so much time and patience. The work of two years was riding on this grand festival, and she was too invested in that to have it fall through now.

They walked together wordlessly, each of them dwelling on their own loses a little too long, absorbed in their heads too much to really verbalise anything. Occasionally Drew's grip on her hand would tighten, and occasionally May would lean onto his shoulder a little, but other than that, they barely acknowledged each other. When they reached her room, she unlocked her dorm room door, and he wrapped around her in an enveloping hug that was a thinly veiled attempt at reassurance, May felt herself sniff.

"Oh no," Drew groaned, pulling back quickly. "You're not crying. No. May I can't handle you crying."

"I'm not crying!" May protested, covering her face with her hands for a moment and squeezing her eyes shut. "I'm really definitely not crying." Her voice came out a little thick, and Drew sighed, shutting his eyes for a second.

"You're crying." He shook his head for a moment, defeated, and she felt her lower lip tremble as she sniffed again.

"Yeah." Her voice cracked a little as she admitted it, and he let her bury her face into his shoulder, hiding from his sight. "Sorry. I just… I can't help but think I've lost the whole season now. I just can't stand the idea of falling short again."

"It's going to be fine, May" Drew told her gently, though not sure what he could say that could get her loss out of her head. "You just need to calm down, and start again tomorrow. You'll be ready for her next time, alright?" She sniffed loudly, nodding weakly, and he reached around her, pushing her door open. "You need to get some sleep. You'll feel better." May nodded again, pulling back and squeezing her eyes shut for a second, like she was trying to wake herself up.

"Yeah." She gave him a long, hopelessly sad look that made him feel a little ill. "I… I mean..."

"What?" He frowned. May's mouth opened and closed a few times, and she twisted her head away shyly for a second, making the little mark on her neck suddenly very visible to Drew.

"You could stay" she finally said, in a tiny, embarrassed voice. "I mean… I'd like it if you stayed."

"May, this… probably isn't the time for that." Drew's cheeks immediately flushed a bright, rosy pink, and May's eyes widened, her hands immediately finding her face again.

"No, no I didn't mean…" her voice wobbled a little, thoroughly embarrassed. "I mean… just stay. We don't have to… I just…" May looked at him between her fingers, feeling suddenly very silly and childish. "I just don't want to be by myself." Drew looked at her for the longest few seconds May had ever felt, her skin crawling with apprehension as he suddenly gave a small smile, reaching up and prying her hands away from her face, taking them in his and leaning forward to kiss her forehead.

"Alright" he mumbled, a little more bashful than May had expected, and she looked at him with big, shining eyes. "If that's what you want." Drew walked around her, leading her into the room, facing forwards. May bit her lip, still a little sad and nervous about what would come in the morning and in the coming months, but reassured that there was one thing she would never have to worry about.

They settled down together, very still in the dark. It felt strangely natural, with her head against his shoulder, curled into his side. He was as warm as he always was, and solid against her. Drew's hand grazed the top of her head, his fingers tangled into her hair as she nestled into the crook of his neck. Her breathing was even and slow, and something about the rise and fall of May's chest brought him into an easy, restful sleep.

Somewhere in the room, they could hear May's phone buzzing quietly, but neither moved to check it.


	4. Hoenn (Part Two)

**Hoenn- Part Two**

* * *

 **Sunrise**

* * *

Waking up next to May had been an odd experience for Drew. She was still asleep (she'd proven herself to be an incredibly deep sleeper, which did not surprise him at all) and even snoring a little (he made a mental note to mock her for it later) when the alarm on his phone went off. He had always been an early riser, having gotten up around six most mornings habitually while travelling, but he was aware May probably didn't share the same productive morning habits as him and was quick to silence the alarm before it woke her and slipped out from underneath her quickly. May was peaceful, which was nice to see after how upset she'd been the night before. The sun had already risen a while before, but it was now in a nice placement that meant it shone just at the right angle through the window, leaving dappled light across the sheets that covered her, and just a little streak along her jaw and above her head, lighting up her face and giving her a little halo of sunlight.

He had been surprised when she'd asked him to stay the night with her. It wasn't like he was uncomfortable with it, or else he wouldn't have obliged, but it just seemed like a sudden leap forward had been taken in the time they'd been in Sootopolis, and that there had been a much stronger physical aspect to the relationship that had caught them both off guard. Glancing across, he noticed the bruise on her neck was still visible. He grimaced. He'd never live it down. But it had been very strange. May had been so immediately comfortable last night, throwing on her night clothes without a moment's concern that she had undressed in front of him, and didn't show even a hint of discomfort while he'd slipped off his jeans. Ordinarily, he would have taken off his t-shirt as well, but figured he wasn't quite as quick to adjust to this whole scenario as she was and decided to just sleep in his shirt and boxers. She'd been so quick to change into her pyjamas and crawl into bed, she hadn't bothered to put her glasses away properly, so Drew picked her eyewear up from the nightstand and polished them unsurely with the hem of his shirt, and picked up her fanny pack to look through it for her glasses case. He always wondered how she fit so much in the little bag and was surprised to see it full of cleverly packed compartments, with rolled up clothes to take up minimal space. Her wallet was tucked into a zip, and everything was organised to slot into an exact spot, like she played tetris every time she organised it. For some reason though, she was carrying around a clunky badges case for the eight Hoenn badges, empty and a little dusty. Weird. Dully, he wondered whether he might just buy her a new bag at some point to save her the effort and to stop her wearing something as ridiculous as a fanny pack. The glasses case was easy to find in the tiny bag, but so was her phone, buzzing irregularly and warning that the battery was low. He fished it out, and plugged it into his own charger. As he placed the glasses neatly in their case and the phone began to spring to life, it buzzed noisily and furiously, dozens of notifications pouring through. He rolled his eyes. She always had been oddly popular.

Drew left her to sleep a little longer, popping back to his own room to change his shirt and shower, even running down to the Center cafe to get them both coffee; he was happy to let himself back in when he returned. She was still sleeping, but she'd shifted a little, further into the middle of the bed, and she'd developed a little frown in her sleep. He smiled. Her phone kept buzzing though, insistent that someone give it attention. He put the two take away coffee cups on the nightstand and picked up her phone, wondering who would be so anxious to reach her. She'd decorated her phone with a bold, colourful case that had lots of cartoonish Pokémon stickers stuck all over it, and there was a few little phone charms hanging from it. One was a small Torchic, another was a little fake contest ribbon and another was a little tiara thing that he recognised from one of her stocking presents, from Christmas. Apparently it was a joke about how she was the Princess of Hoenn. Caroline was a good gift giver. Her lock screen was a picture of her and Dawn on some stupid adventure they must have gone on together at some point when they were in Johto, because he vaguely recognised the background beaches. He knew her passcode, because everyone knew May's passcode, and smiled when he realised her home screen was a picture from their travelling around Sinnoh together. It was very like her.

There were about fourteen missed calls, all from the same contact, and three text messages. Drew frowned. Max.

"May…" he reached across to her and touched her shoulder, shaking her gently. "May, wake up." She groaned a little, screwing her eyes tighter shut, and grabbed his hand sloppily.

"Going back to sleep," May complained meekly. "It's too early."

"May, you need to look at your phone" he told her firmly, sighing a little as he sat down on the bed, nudging her again. "I think something's wrong with Max." He couldn't quite cover up the tremble of worry in his voice.

"What is it?" She was suddenly very awake, very quickly. "Max? What's happened?" She tried to sit up, but did so too quickly, and got a little lightheaded. "Ugh..."

"You're a mess," Drew snorted, taking the liberty to call him back while May shook herself awake. May's phone was heavy in his hand with all her silly little trinkets. It rang twice before Max answered. "Max, it's Drew. Is everything alright?" May stared at him hopelessly, her lower lip twitching a little. Drew patted her on the head a little, and then passed her the glasses case. "Mnhn. That's rough." May squeaked a little, reaching forward and snatching the phone from Drew, panicking a little.

"Max!" She nearly shouted down the phone, her voice wobbly with worry. "Max, what's happened? Where are you? Are you hurt?" Drew watched her in a mild disbelief, blinking at her liveliness, but took the glasses case she hadn't bothered to open yet and clicked it open, taking them out and unfolding them, and sliding them onto her face. She gave him a grateful nod, listening intently to her brother on the other end. "You total doofus! How are you going to get home now, you idiot!"

"May..." Drew chastised her gently, but she waved him off.

"You can't very well travel like that, now can you?" She continued, her tone getting a little shrill. "What are you going to do, limp all the way to Olivine to get a ferry home? No. You can't. Because you had to play the hero and break your damn leg! Are you even out of hospital yet? Have you even…" May's eyes widened dramatically. "Oh Arceus, you haven't told Mom and Dad yet, have you? Max!" Drew spotted tiny little tears forming in the corners of her eyes, and her face was filling up with glaring red marks, so quickly he grabbed the phone from her to spare Max her continued angry tirade.

"Max," he said quickly, using his free arm to hold May back from taking the phone again. "I'm rescuing you from the fury of your sister. You owe me. Are you out of hospital?" There was a pause, but May could hear the squeaky tones of her brother explaining himself. "Okay. And where in Johto are you?" It carried on, and Drew nodded. "Okay, Ecruteak isn't too far from Olivine, and there should be a direct ferry from Olivine to Slateport. Do you have any Pokémon that can fly?"

"He doesn't!" May snapped from the bed, sniffing a little. "He's stranded in Ecruteak."

"That's fine, that's fine" Drew quickly stepped a little away from May. "You're at the Pokémon Center, right? I can transfer you Flygon for a while. He can fly you to Olivine, and make sure you get on the ferry. May and I are actually headed for Slateport ourselves, we're about to get a ferry from Sootopolis. So we can meet you there and get you to Petalburg, and May can stop having an aneurysm."

"He hasn't even told Mom and Dad!" May protested, almost sulkily, and Drew gave her a withering smile.

"Max, tell your parents you're coming home early. Then go talk to Nurse Joy and hopefully she'll have gotten Flygon by then. I'll look up ferry times and text them to you." He sat back down on the bed, reaching out and holding May's hand. "Now I'm going to give you back to May and you're going to say sorry for giving her a heart attack." He passed the phone back over without another word, and May took it quickly, pressing it to her ear.

"What were you thinking?" She breathed, flexing her fingers anxiously. "Max you're so lucky it's just your leg, if you're told something is unsafe then it's probably very very unsafe." Drew leant over and kissed her on the forehead, and she mouthed a thank you at him while he left with Flygon's Pokeball. "I don't care if there were rumours of the three legendary dogs, if somewhere has restricted zones because it's not structurally sound, you don't go running off. It could have completely collapsed under you. You could have died." May's voice wobbled a bit as she said it, and Drew paused in the doorway, watching her. "You can't play hero like that Max. It was all very exciting when we were young, and we travelled with Ash and we bumped into legendary Pokémon every other week. But you can't go looking for trouble like that, especially not when you're on your own. It scares me."

* * *

"So my brother," May scoffed, stabbing her pancakes with a fork. "My dumb, hero complex little brother, right, he thinks he's a genius."

"I'm really sorry," Drew apologised with a groan. They were sat having breakfast with Dawn, Paul, Zoey and Solidad, and May had been unusually quiet and sullen until Dawn had the dumb idea to ask why. Solidad raised an eyebrow. Drew shook his head. "She's been upset since she woke up."

"Rightfully so," May reminded him sharply. "My little brother, travelling all on his lonesome, goes to Ecruteak City because he's heard some rumours about legendary Pokémon there, and it's on the way between Olivine and Mahogany and he's on his way to battle Pryce," she paused for breath. "Spoiler alert, he's not going to challenge Pryce any time soon."

"Oh Mew, what happened?" Dawn pulled a face.

"He's on this guided tour of this place called Burnt Tower" she continued, waving a hand above her head in a wild gesticulation, because details weren't important. "And the tour guide says to everyone that the upper and lower floors are off limits because it's not structurally sound, and that the floors could cave in at any time."  
"This sounds ominous" Zoey breathed in sharply through her teeth. "I don't like where this is going."

"He sneaks off." May looked pained. "My dumb, stupid, over confident little shithead of a baby brother sneaks off, and decides hey, I know, I'll explore the upper floors and find rare Pokémon!"  
"It was a dumb idea," Drew conceded, trying to grab her hand to calm her down.

"It was more than a dumb idea" May scowled at him. "It was one hundred percent, top billing, headline act, award winning stupidest thing my brother has ever, ever done."

"I'm guessing there's an extended list somewhere?" Solidad drawled, and May nodded furiously.

"This is the tip of the iceberg," May assured her icily. "So, he's wandering around, being a dick, the usual Max Maple patented idiot stunts he always pulls." She had a flair for the dramatic and for a good story, and Drew gave up on restraining her. "And he spots a Pokémon and he starts to chase after it. Like, he full on sprints."

"Not wise" Zoey sighed.

"Bam." May slammed the table. "His foot goes right through the floor and he's stuck."

"Is he alright?" Dawn gasped, her hands covering her mouth. Drew answered yes at the same time May snorted out a no.

"He's fine," Drew reiterated, giving May a look. "He broke some bones in his foot, and one of the bones in his leg. The hospital gave him a cast and some crutches, and he's on his way to Hoenn now."

"He didn't even call our parents," May continued, puffing out her cheeks. "He just expected I'd be able to magically fix everything for him so he could carry on travelling and getting badges. Can you imagine?"

"Well, it's all sorted out now" Drew reminded her briskly. "And I'm sure he called your parents."

"I bet he didn't," May scowled. I bet he's just going to show up on the doorstep with a big stupid grin on his face. Mom won't even get mad, she'll just fuss over him and baby him, and be so happy to have him home. And Dad is going to lose his shit over it." She stood up, agitated and a little tearful. "I'm going to get some water." She stormed away, her hands balled into fists, and they watched her go in a slightly fearful silence.

"She's really worried, isn't she? I've never heard her swear like that." Dawn pursed her lips a little, and Drew pulled a face. "How's he getting to Hoenn from Ecruteak?"

"I sent over Flygon" Drew explained. "That'll get him as far as Olivine. He should manage to get on a ferry, and then May and I will meet him at Slateport and get him home."

"So when you said it's all sorted," Solidad snorted. "Do you mean that actually you sorted it, and May got upset?"

"Yes," Drew stifled a laugh. "She's sensitive about it. She's completely overreacting and it's a little terrifying. Let's not say that when she comes back."

"Wise," Zoey agreed, hiding a smile. "So where's everyone headed next?"

"Mossdeep!" Dawn smiled. "There's a contest coming up there, and Paul has a gym challenge there, right Paul?" Paul didn't say anything, but nodded awkwardly. He had clearly been forced to come along.

"I'm headed back to Lilycove," Solidad said lightly. "I haven't been in a while, and there's a nice route south of Mt Pyre that leads back to Mauville that I enjoy. It's a fortnight long journey but it's very beautiful."

"That sounds lovely" Zoey nodded, sipping at a glass of sitrus berry juice. "I'm quite sad I'm not competing with you all here in Hoenn! Kanto is lovely and all, but Ursula hardly makes for fun company."

"Isn't Nando there too?" Dawn asked curiously, taking a mouthful of waffles. "He's a nice guy."

"Nando is great, but he's intense." Zoey pulled a face. "I'm not about to sit down to breakfast with him. All he talks about are contests, or he just sings at you. It gets grating after a while."

"I guess," Dawn laughed awkwardly. "Well next season we have to make sure we're competing in the same place! I mean, Johto could be fun, neither of us have competed there! Although I'm guessing we should avoid Burnt Tower."

"That sounds logical," Zoey snickered. "Yeah, why not? Always good to plan ahead!"

"Do you and May know where you'll be competing next season yet?" Dawn turned to Drew with a smile, and Drew hesitated. "I mean, not to sound pointed or anything, but I wouldn't mind having May around in Johto as well. It'd be nice to have both of my best friends around at once, you know?"

"We haven't talked about it," Drew shrugged, suddenly withdrawing a little. "But I'm sure she'll let you know when we have. Solidad, do you know where you're going next?"

"Sinnoh," she told him airily. "I've been thinking about it since coming to see your Grand Festival. It seemed like a really interesting region, I'd like to explore it."

"You'll like it," Drew told her pleasantly. "You'll like the scenery."

"Noted" Solidad smiled at him. "Ah, she's coming back…" They all turned at once to see May making her way back towards them. Her hair looked a little damp, and there were water marks around the neckline of her top. She threw herself back into her seat with a dull thud, and began to focus on her pancakes hotly.

"Nice swim?" Drew commented dryly. She sent him a warning glare.

"I splashed some water on my face," she quipped. "So now I'm calm. I am calm and I am no longer upset. Continue talking." She filled her mouth with too much food, and sat back in her chair, chewing for an inordinate amount of time.

"Well, that's a relief" Dawn lied. "We were just talking about the next contest season and where we might go next. Any ideas, May?"

"Nope." Her voice was muffled behind pancakes. "I don't plan that far ahead. Too busy dealing with siblings breaking their limbs." A little bit of food spat out of her mouth while she spoke, and flew into Dawn's unsuspecting, innocent face. Paul unexpectedly snorted with laughter into a cup of tea, but then when others around the table looked at him, he scowled and continued drinking sullenly.

* * *

Max was a little reluctant when he hobbled off the ferry. It had only been a day since he'd called May, and he was more than apprehensive about her reaction in person if the one over the phone had been so awful. It was miserable enough having to end a challenge in a region early, but it was worse having May hate on him for a bad thought process when he already felt like enough of a fool. Instead of sleeping on the overnight ferry, he was absorbed in his mind, conjuring up all sorts of scenarios where she'd been telling their parents to be angry with him too, and that he'd be coming home to a big pile of angry people who didn't want to talk to him and were disappointed in him having to come home. It was embarrassing. But it was worse than that, because it was May, and he'd always been a little desperate to impress her and have her look up to him for something. But now she just thought he was an idiot.

"Max!" He spotted her quickly. She was stood right near the docking station, as close to the ferry as someone could possibly get without boarding it. Drew was nowhere to be seen, probably in the waiting room of the harbour, probably bored of May's overreaction by now. Max took a big, nervous breath, and gave her a wobbly smile as he hobbled forward on his crutches, down the slope towards her. She was dancing from foot to foot, nervous for him. As soon as he was within arm's reach, she was reaching out and pulling him the rest of the way down and smothering him in a hug that winded him. "Max, oh man, are you alright? Are those scratches on your face? Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"I'm fine, May" Max blushed, a few of the other passengers looking at them strangely. "May, you can let go of me." She pulled back, nodding with watery eyes, before scowling and hitting him on the back of the head. "Ow!"

"You deserve that, you little shit." She stomped her foot a little, before her lower lip started wobbling and she was sniffing. "I was so close to jumping up and flying to Johto myself if Drew hadn't sent you Flygon. Don't worry me like that."

"I'm okay, May" Max assured her nervously, looking away. "I'm sorry I upset you. I'm really sorry." May sniffed again and looked away, blinking away a couple of tears. "Where's Drew?"

"He's sick from the journey from Sootopolis yesterday," May explained thickly, letting Max rearrange his crutches. "He gets really sea sick, so he's sleeping in to try and shake it." Slowly, May hovered next to Max as he skipped forward on his crutches, his cast dragging behind him a little. "Are you okay walking? I can get Blaziken to give you a spoink back ride?"

"I'll survive," Max winced. "When do we leave for Petalburg?"

"We don't," May pursed her lips. "At least, not in the way you're thinking. I called Dad on the ferry." Max groaned.

"May…" he sighed. "I was going to call them, I swear."

"Mom is driving over now, and she'll drive us back to Petalburg" May continued, ignoring him sulkily. "The council built this overpass between Oldale and Slateport, just up by the cycling road, so it won't take her long. She said she'd be here sometime this afternoon, she's helping Kenny with some maintenance stuff during the morning."

"Are they mad?" Max asked apprehensively. May sighed.

"Mom was upset you didn't call" May told him heavily. "Dad seemed to understand. I don't, though. Why didn't you call them?"

"Because it's a bit humiliating and I was putting it off as long as possible" Max grimaced. "It's bad enough I've got to come home early and I've not gotten all the badges in Johto and I won't be challenging the league, but… I was really dumb running off like that. And it's embarrassing coming home like this, and I just couldn't face them being disappointed in me straight away. So I called you because I thought you'd be a bit easier on me and help me figure out what to do next. But you were so upset, it just made the thought of calling Mom and Dad even worse."

"Oh…" May looked down, a little sad. "I'm sorry. I didn't think of it like that. I guess it is a bit of a wound to your pride. I shouldn't have been so… I was just so worried about you Max. I don't like the thought of you travelling by yourself."

"This is the first time I've had a problem, and it's handled now" Max shuffled, a little abashed. They were long out of the harbour now, wobbling their way towards the Pokémon Center where Drew was sleeping. "I don't know what I would have done without that weenie you hang out with though."

"He sure saved the day, huh" May agreed, pursing her lips. "I should have done that."

"You were a bit irrational at that point" Max snorted. "Which is flattering, I guess. Nice to know you care."

"You know no one is going to be disappointed in you for not being in the league," May told him gently, still a little tense. "You just… need to promise everyone you'll be more careful. Mom was really worried. So was Dad."

"We'll see." Max pulled a face. The Pokémon Center was getting closer, but his arms were starting to ache from the crutches. "Can we take a break?"

"Of course" May nodded apologetically, tucking under his arm and helping him hop across to a bench on the side of the seat. They sat for a moment, quietly, He sighed, not sure what else he could say to her to calm her down.

"Are you and Drew coming back to Petalburg with me?" Max asked warily.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Just for the one night though. Drew wanted to head up through Rustboro, and head for Verdanturf, and I want to talk to Mom and Dad about some stuff before I go off to get my last ribbon." She hesitated. "Did you watch the cup?"

"I missed the last day, so I didn't see your battle, but I read an article online on the way over" Max explained lightly. "I saw Drew lose though. That was weird."

"He's had a rough season," May told him apprehensively, and Max nodded, subdued.

"Are you alright? After your loss? And is Drew?" Max felt a little awkward asking. "I know you hate losing. And that Drew isn't really… used to losing. Except on purpose."

"Oh I'm fine," May shook her head a little, distracted. "I was sad watching the other matches, and that night. But I'll get my final ribbon elsewhere. Drew was kinda… well, he was shocked" she admitted, shrugging. "We talked about it afterwards and we touched on it a little on the ferry over. It's bothering him but I think in the long run it'll be good for him."

"Some losses are" Max agreed. "I reckon I can manage the rest of the way. Help me up?"

* * *

Dissolvable aspirin always seemed to be the only real solution after a long ferry ride. May had gotten him some sea sickness tablets once, to try, but he struggled to choke down tablets and in the end this seemed to be the only option. Nurse Joy was very sympathetic when Drew inquired if she had any, and she was happy to provide him with a cool, tall glass and that familiar fizzy sound that he knew far too well. He went out to the Center garden for fresh air, and sipped at the water distastefully. It had a hellish aftertaste, and left his mouth chalky. He leant against the doorway frame, looking out into the outdoors area. There were a couple of battlefields marked out for trainers to practice on or have some friendly competition, and some grassy areas shaded by trees and filled with pretty wildflowers where Pokémon could rest and relax, and generally take some time off from training. Max was propped up against one of these trees, coaching a Misdreavus quietly. He looked almost comical, balanced half against the tree and half on his crutch. The cast on his leg reached up way past his knee, and there was a black, strapped on support boot over his foot as well. There was a few bandages across his cheek that seemed loose and frayed, and he was clearly in a very very bad mood. But the one thing Drew was very upset to notice was his height. Since Christmas he'd gained at least a few inches. He was about the height of Norman now, which convinced him that had to be the tallest Max would get. It wasn't fair that Max reached his full height at sixteen, and it wasn't fair that he was so much taller than him. It wasn't right.

"Drew!" Max had spotted him, and was clearly pleased to see him. "Hey, how ya feeling?"

"Fine" Drew lied, sipping a little more of his cloudy water. "Although shouldn't I be the one asking you that?"

"I've already had May smother me this morning, don't worry, that quota has been reached" Max griped. "She's run off to the Pokemart to get a more comprehensive first aid kit, she clearly thinks the hospital wasn't enough of a precaution. Here's your Flygon, by the way. Thank you."

"Yeah well, I've been telling people for years she's an idiot," Drew hid a grin as he took the Pokeball from Max. He was glad to have him back, he didn't like being separated from his Pokémon for too long. "No one seemed to listen, though. I presume this is your Misdreavus?"

"Yeah," Max grinned, adjusting his glasses a little. "She was the Pokémon I was chasing after in Burnt Tower. She kept me company while I was waiting for the ambulance, and she felt really bad about the whole thing so she came along with me."

"Well at least you got something out of all this," Drew scoffed, greeting the small ghost type. "She's pretty. She'd do well in a contest." Misdreavus trilled at the compliment, floating in close to Drew fondly.

"Well, she's also blessed with an awesome moveset" Max bragged happily. "She knows Nasty Plot. Usually Misdreavus have to be bred to learn it, but she has it under wraps. I'm going to try and do what you do with Houndoom, and stack lots of Nasty Plots, and then she can use a supercharged shadow ball or something." Drew gave an awkward chuckle, nodding.

"Doesn't sound very defensive" he commented dryly. "Trying something new?"

"My team is getting a lot stronger," Max told him firmly. "Sceptile, Gardevoir, Camerupt, Umbreon and Misdreavus… There's a lot of attack power there and it would be silly to ignore it. It's time I stopped relying on walls and fought back a little, I'm convinced that's why I lost in the Hoenn and Sinnoh league. I need to be able to deal out big hits as well as take them."

"Sounds wise," Drew coughed to cover up a bit of a smile. "What doesn't sound wise is being out here training when May gets back. She'll break your other leg if you're not resting."

"I just wanted to try out nasty plot; we haven't had a chance yet" Max complained. "Misdreavus, let's give it a try and show Drew what we can do!" The Misdreavus nodded cheerfully, and paused, her eyes flashing black for a moment and her body quivering slightly as she flew away from them. Max turned to Drew with a tilted head. "How many do you usually stack before attacking?"

"It's not a question of how many do I want before I attack, because Houndoom's special attack power is already very high," Drew explained briefly. "It's more about how many can I stack in the time I have. I've found it usually maxes out around five or six, and Houndoom won't really benefit from it after that, but if I'm against a particularly fast Pokémon sometimes I can only get in one or two and that's fine."

"So if you were against Dad's Slaking and you were using Houndoom," Max raised an eyebrow. "You'd go for six, because it's really strong and you'd have the time. But if you were against Linoone…"

"I wouldn't have the time, I'd probably use it once before that thing was on top of me" Drew scowled a little. That Linoone haunted him a little. "Misdreavus is a ghost type, also. Much better at evading and she can fly up pretty high. You could probably get away with a few more than Houndoom. Let's see her shadow ball, then…"

"Right!" Max twisted himself around to Misdreavus, full to determination. "Misdreavus, use shadow ball, shoot it up into the air!" Misdreavus twirled slightly and sent the shadow ball skyward, throwing up the purpling ball of energy into the sky, where it crackled impressively. Drew paused, tightening his lips.

"She really would make a good contest Pokémon," he repeated deftly. "That's a pretty move. But yes, it looks powerful. I reckon you and Misdreavus will do well when you get back to challenging gyms. Just be careful not to overestimate big hits and drop your defence too much. Watching how May used to battle should have been enough of a lesson in that but it bears repeating."

"You got it" Max grinned. "Thanks Drew! I really appreciate you helping me. And er, thanks for sending me Flygon, and the ferry details, and… you know, helping me get here. I really do appreciate everything."

"No problem." Drew suddenly felt a little embarrassed. "Just don't… run off into restricted areas anymore. You know, it really worried your sister."

"Uh huh." Max dragged out each syllable. "It worried my sister, huh?"

"Well it was a dumb thing to do," Drew retorted defensively, drinking the last of his water. "Now go… sit down or something. She'd be furious if she knew you were running around with your Pokémon."

"Sure thing, Drew." Max recalled Misdreavus and rearranged himself with his crutches, shifting his weight into his arms. "... Sorry if you were worried, Drew."

"Shut up, Max." Drew didn't look at him.

"Hey!" Neither of them had anticipated May interrupting them, calling across from the doorway Drew had come through only about quarter of an hour before, a hand precariously balanced on her hip as she watched them with narrowed eyes. "Now, I don't want to interrupt the training session of two people who are supposed to be resting, so gee, sorry for that, but Mom's car is out front, so you best both get moving." Drew scoffed, not one to listen to May when she fussed over his health, but Max at least had the grace to look ashamed. "I've already gotten both of your stuff, because for some reason, I couldn't find you. I don't know why," she continued, a little sarcastic and miffed. "Because I had the sense to believe you might actually take your injury seriously, Max. Or that you might not encourage him, Drew."

"Hey, I said he shouldn't be training" Drew told her dryly, throwing his hands up half-heartedly in a lazy self-defence.

"No you didn't," Max scowled back at him. "Liar. You said I shouldn't be training when May got back. You were fine with it so long as she didn't see."

"You're twisting my words," Drew glanced between the two siblings quickly. "It doesn't matter. What's important is that I was never wrong. Now, let's not leave Caroline waiting, hm?" He sauntered past May confidently, without looking at her, and she glared after him, flexing her finger digits individually. Max hobbled over to her with his crutches apprehensively.

"He's a real shit, May" Max told her primly. "You knew that getting into this."

"Don't talk to me" May seethed. "Go get in the car."

* * *

 **Petalburg**

* * *

Drew slept the majority of the way back. When May explained to Caroline and Max that seasickness really bothered him, Caroline was totally enamoured with the thought and immediately started planning out loud different kinds of soups she could potentially make to settle his stomach and to help him get better quicker before he set off for Rustboro. Caroline had fussed and fussed over Max endlessly, not even bothering to mention how upset she was that he didn't call, though it was obvious she was very upset and he felt incredibly guilty. When they pulled into Petalburg, and Max had prodded Drew awake with his crutches, Norman was waiting in the doorway with folded arms and a face like thunder. Max audibly swallowed, though it was covered by May slamming shut his car door for him, giving him a pointed smile and locking eyes with Caroline. Caroline paused, a little sadly, and May frowned.

"If the pair of you could come with me to the gym, that would be great." His words were loaded with a barely concealed rage that took May back a little, and she wasn't all that sure why she was being called in as well. Drew shrugged at her, and so she followed, helping Max where she could to keep pace with Norman's speedy walk, as he stormed ahead with a heavier footfall than May had anticipated. He had seemed to understand on the phone. She couldn't fathom why he was so furious.

When they got to the gym, there were two chairs placed side by side in the middle of the battle field. May gulped. The last time there had been two chairs placed out like that, they had received the most terrifying lecture of their young lives. It was just after they'd moved to Petalburg, and they had been dancing around chaotically to some dumb boy band song May had made Max listen to with her, and in the process had broken one of Caroline's most valued, precious gifts from her late mother. May loved her father very much, but he put the fear of Arceus in her when he was mad. But still, she could not place what she possibly could have done wrong. Max, maybe, with not telling them he was injured, but she could hardly see where she was at fault in that.

"Both of you sit down," Norman told them briskly, his feet planted firmly apart as he faced away from them, with slightly hunched shoulders and a tense, stiff neck.

"What's going on, Dad?" May asked lightly, trying to keep her tone airy. She helped Max into his seat, and sat to his left, subconsciously wrapping his hand into hers in a vague attempt at reassurance. Though their entire relationship with their father, Max had always been the one in trouble the least. Max was the spit of his father in so many ways, in habits and ways he lived and the ways he conducted himself, so they tended to live harmoniously. This meant when Norman _was_ upset with him, Max was awkward and unsure how to react and how to respond, so would usually end up being very quiet and internalising it until he could be by himself. May, however, had a very different relationship with her father. With the rift between them created by her lack of interest in Pokémon, May would act out a lot as a child because bad attention was better than no attention. They'd had loud rows in the past, ones that constantly surprised and saddened Caroline because it was so strange that two typically kind and understanding people clashed so furiously sometimes. But the lows were accompanied by highs, and they shared more in common than the surface suggested, and could be found eating ice cream together in the early hours of the morning, too hungry to sleep, trying hard not to laugh together and wake the rest of the house. This all meant that May was much better at handling disagreements with their father, and instinctively she moved to keep Max from getting too upset by it. "Dad? You haven't said anything."

"I'm trying to figure out my wording," he admitted curtly. "I've been mulling this over in my head since you called, May."

"Dad, I'm really really sorry I didn't call," Max cut through quickly. "I really am. I know it must have worried you to hear from May like that and I know you should have heard it from me. And I'm sorry I was so reckless and I should have taken caution in what I was doing, but… I don't know. I'm just really sorry." His glasses were fogging, which was something that often happened to Max when he got upset, so he took them off and polished them against his t-shirt. Norman paused.

"Thank you for saying that Max." Norman didn't sound particularly kindly at his words. "You were very reckless, yes. But accidents happen and they are a part of us learning what accidents not to make. That is something I can appreciate will have taught you something." His voice didn't trail off, so neither of his children moved. "However, the issue lies in your not informing us there was a problem. When you were hospitalised, your next of kin should have been informed immediately, and the last time I checked, I was your next of kin."

"I asked them not to call" Max offered lamely. "I told them I would get in touch with you. I called May on her cell, to ask her what to do. She didn't answer straight away, and she called me back really really early the next day."

"Why did you ask them not to call us?" Norman asked, his tone not changing. It was stiff, but not angry yet. But it was a precursor to something that both May and Max could anticipate just from his reluctance to look at him. "Why did you want to talk to May, and not to us?"

"Pride, I guess" Max shrugged. "I didn't want you to think I was weak. I didn't want you to think I couldn't handle myself, or make it into the League. It was dumb."

"Pride" Norman echoed, almost sadly. "Yes, that's what I suspected."

"He made a mistake," May said softly. "And he recognises that. I mean, the poor guy got enough of an earful from me when he called. He's really sorry."

"You're missing the point, May" Norman told her firmly. "He was too proud to call me and tell me he was in hospital. Where do you think he learnt this pride? Where do you think this obsession with impressing us came from? Impressing me?"

"Are you blaming me for this?" May asked, incredulous. "I told him to call you. I yelled at him so much. And I called you later on to check if he had. I can't believe that you…"

"You should not have been the person to chastise him" Norman interrupted her hotly. "That was my job. The way you have behaved since leaving, with your insistence in proving yourself which is something I never needed from you, nor did I ever do anything to make you think you did, has begun to negatively affect Max. That's very obvious."

"This is completely insane." May stood up, forcing her father to look at her. "I have done nothing wrong. My ambitions are what they are, and anything between you and I is separate from the relationship between you and Max." She hardened herself, tightening her lips. "Maybe you should stop and think for a moment why your children are so worried about disappointing you. Maybe spending our lives watching you do nothing but work, and fight with these Pokémon, maybe that made us work a little harder to get your attention. Did you ever think that?"

"Don't turn this on me, May. You might be some big, famous coordinator now, but you're still my daughter and you won't talk to me like that" Norman reprimanded her fiercely. "Sit down."

"No!" May shot back, stomping her foot a little. "I turn twenty in a month. I won't let you sit me down and slap me on the wrist like I'm still eight. And what did I just say that was so wrong? Isn't it obvious how hard Max and I work to get attention from you? Max put everything into being the best trainer possible to get just a little positive reinforcement from you. I… well," May hesitated, feeling uncomfortable. "You know where I was left in all this. I resented you so much for loving Pokémon more than me."

"I never," Norman began, but May ignored him, carrying on.

"Yes, you did you did you did!" Her eyes were squeezed shut for a moment and she managed to stop herself from crying. "You never wanted to talk to me. I tried so many times, and you never had time. And even when you did, what was I supposed to say? In what world is a little girl supposed to be struggling to think of conversation to make with her father?"

"May, you need to calm down" Norman boomed, but she carried on.

"And now, you stand here, and you get mad at me for wanting to prove myself and for that rubbing off on my brother?" Her chest was heaving she was breathing so heavily. "No, that's totally not fair. It's not okay. I'm not the one at fault here, it's you."

"May, please calm down" Max cut in, leaning forward in his seat and grabbing her hand, trying to pull her back. "May please. It's neither of your faults, it's mine. I was stubborn and stupid. Please stop fighting."

"Max…" May looked at him with watery eyes, before shaking her head briskly. "Max, don't let this make you think you can't call me when something goes wrong. I understand what you did, and I am happy to be your first port of call if this makes you uncomfortable, and that will always always be true. But you can't let pride be more important than your safety, do you understand?"

"Yes." Max nodded dumbly.

"Anything else?" She turned to her father with a flourish. His eyes were a little wide, and his mouth firmly shut. He shook his head. "Good. Excuse me." She turned away haughtily, flying out the gym door faster than either Max or Norman could follow.

* * *

"Here you are, Drew." Caroline fussed, placing a small steaming mug in front of him. "There's already a little honey in there, but I can add more if it's still too bitter. When I made this for May when she was little she'd put so much honey in it it was practically syrup."

"I can imagine," Drew snorted, accepting it with a grateful smile. "Thanks. I've never had ginger tea before."

"It's very easy to make, and it's good for all sorts" Caroline told him brightly, sitting opposite him with a mug of her own. "Upset stomachs, headaches, motion sickness… I used to make it for May when she was little, she used to have the most awful immune system, and she got sick when a breeze came into town. All that hiding inside from Pokémon; I think it stopped her from being exposed to the right kinds of germs and things. She's much tougher now, though. To make it, all you really need to do is peel and cut up segments of ginger and boil it in water, but I like to add fennel. All sorts of extra benefits. And the honey makes it easier to drink." She paused with a laugh, as though remembering something. Drew watched her, sipping apprehensively. "My mother used to make it for me, now I think about it. It was a bit of a craze in Unova when I was young."

"That's really nice" Drew nodded, a little subdued. Caroline hesitated, and began to frown a little. "It tastes lovely" he added, blowing on it a little before taking a second sip.

"I'm glad" Caroline murmured, taking a drink of her own. "You know, we're very indebted to you. May told us on the phone that you sent Flygon over to Max to get him back safe, and if I know my daughter she was probably too busy getting upset to come up with practical solutions, so I'm sure that you pretty much sorted everything out for him."

"No, no, well" Drew paused, smirking. "Yes, May did nothing. May panicked and cried for a bit. But its fine, you're definitely not… indebted to me or anything like that." He flushed a little, looking away. "You've all been very kind to me."

"Well, Drew" Caroline blinked, a little taken back, but smiled at him sweetly. "I'm sure May has filled you in on how welcome you are here, always. Especially since… well…." she hesitated. "I'm… sorry. About your mother."

"Oh," Drew looked up, surprised. "I'm guessing May told you."

"When she was here last summer, getting her contacts fitted," Caroline explained meekly. "She was quite upset. I'm sorry. I shouldn't mention it, but…"

"Its fine," Drew shrugged, feeling a little less apprehensive about the topic than he had a few months ago. "Eventually I just figured you can't miss what you didn't have. It's really not a problem, Caroline."

"Well, even still." She pursed her lips distastefully. "I would hate to think of either May or Max hurting because of me. So in lieu of that I hope you know you can come to me whenever you need."

"That's…" Drew felt his ears turn a little pink. "That's really kind of you, thank you. I appreciate it."

"I'm not just saying it," Caroline reiterated, giving him a firm look. "I've heard from May all about how stubborn and independent you can be. And I know you're both nearly twenty now but there are things people of all ages want parents around for. I know I miss having mine. So make use of us."

"I will," Drew smiled a little, drinking more of his tea. His stomach still felt off, but his headache was clearing a little. "You grew up in Unova?"

"We moved to Johto when I was young," Caroline explained lightly, smiling at some lost childhood memory somewhere in the back of her mind. "Not a dissimilar age to where Max was when we moved to Hoenn. But we visited a lot, I love Unova. It's a beautiful region."

"What's it like?" Drew asked interestedly. He'd never been to Unova, and all he really knew about it was that there weren't contests there. But recently, he'd been thinking more and more about it.

"Unova is beautiful," Caroline gushed, sitting forward in her chair a little. "It's got the most gorgeous sights and architecture. But more than anything it's a very divisive place. It's a place known for its opposites. There are places of great historical significance, and people who take pride in tradition and olden times. I mean, you've got cities like Opelucid City, totally grounded in it's past, or places like Nacrene City which has incredible libraries and museums dedicated to its foundations. And there are landmarks like the Relic Castle and desert ruins…" Caroline drifted off, smiling to herself. "Unova is quite fiercely protective of it's past. But also stubbornly proud of its future. Black City is this technologically advanced, almost futuristic place. And then Castelia City, it's like the hub of all the stock market businesses and commercial sites for all around the world. Anyone who makes it in business ends up in Castelia City. But that's not what I love about it - they have the most amazing ice cream stands, they have a funny name I can never remember. Whenever I visited my grandparents, they'd take me into the city and we'd buy enough ice cream to feed a small army."

"It sounds incredible" Drew nodded, pursing his lips to stop himself from grinning. Caroline got this dreamy, faraway look in her eye when she talked about Unova, and it was hard not to get swept up in her excitement. "Did you ever take May or Max?"

"No," Caroline frowned. "Any holidays were spent in Johto, and even they were very few. Norman… works a lot. He doesn't like to close the gym."

"May said something like that once," Drew frowned, but nodded, feeling it wasn't the time to push that. Caroline glanced towards the gym awkwardly, and Drew thought for a moment he could hear May's muffled yelling. "Caroline, can I… ask you something? That might stay between you and I? I don't particularly want to talk to May about it yet, but it's been something I've been thinking about for a while."

"You aren't going to propose are you?" Caroline jumped to attention, and Drew felt blood rush to his face, filling his cheeks with colour. "Drew, I'd be thrilled, but I would maybe wait a few years. You're both very young. Although, it would be nice to throw a big wedding I suppose. And then you'd really be a part of the family!"

"T-That's not it at all!" Drew quickly assured her, lifting his hands up defensively. "Nothing like that. R-Really!"

"Oh, oh well don't mind me then!" Caroline laughed brightly. "I mean, I certainly want grandchildren, but let me enjoy not being called a grandmother for a few more years yet…"

"Um, sure" Drew coughed, glowing crimson. "Nothing to worry about there." Caroline laughed a little, enjoying his distraught embarrassment, before nodding for him to continue. "It's actually about Unova."

* * *

Caroline didn't think she'd ever had a more uncomfortable family meal in her life. Norman was sat stiffly, not shifting his eyes from the bowl of stew in front of him, eating silently. Occasionally his finger would twitch, towards May, as though wanting to start some kind of conversation with her but thinking better of it. Max looked permanently on the verge of tears, which was strange for a seventeen year old boy, but she knew how deeply his admiration for his father ran and it wasn't uncommon for Max to get visibly upset after Norman scolded him. She felt Drew continually glance at her, as though nervous she would say something to May, though he had no reason to be concerned. He needed to focus that concern on May. May wasn't eating.

May never didn't eat.

She was sat with her shoulders a little hunched over her plate, dragging her spoon around the surface of her meal with a lazy nonchalance. Occasionally, she would make some light hearted, meaningless comment, and Max would look at her like she was alien for a moment. When it came to the end of the meal, and dishes were cleared away, she hadn't eaten a single bite.

"May," Max ventured nervously, just before everyone stood to leave the table. She looked at him sharply. "Didn't you say this morning you had something you wanted to talk to Mom and Dad about?"

"Ah, yeah, I forgot about that" May paused, thinking for a moment. Norman looked to her curiously, and Caroline paused. "I was going to ask if I could use the gym. Once I've got my final ribbon, that is. I wanted to use the gym and the greenhouse for training for the festival, so I might come back for a few months before headed for Slateport. But, ah…" May frowned. "I guess that might be a bad idea, huh."

"Why?" Drew looked at her with a frown. They hadn't spoken about her fight with Norman yet, she hadn't been alone with him since getting to Petalburg.

"Oh, just…" May trailed off, and shook her head at him a little.

"Because she's angry with me," Norman filled in bluntly, taking a drink of water. Caroline gave him a meaningful glare.

"Not at the table, Norman" Caroline asked quietly. Norman rolled his eyes.

"May, don't be so bloody proud for once," Norman challenged quietly, standing from the table and holding her eye contact tensely. "The gym is yours to use, if you want it. What's the point of working as much as I do if I can't provide for you, hn?"

"Norman." Caroline's voice was much sharper now, and Norman looked at her with a sigh.

"I'm going to bed," May muttered, standing herself and tucking her chair under the table. "Thank you for dinner, Mom. Goodnight everyone."

"May?" Drew watched as she left, and turned to the rest of the Maple family awkwardly. "Uh, I should probably…"

"Go" Norman nodded his permission. "Maybe you can talk some logic into her thick skull." Drew blinked, a little taken back, but scurried away after May quickly, baffled at the exchange. As he made his way up the stairs to her room, he could hear Caroline chastise Norman in a quiet, furious hiss, and he could almost feel Max shrink in his chair. When he got to May's room, he could hear her crying, and braced himself for a long night.

* * *

 **Rubello Town**

* * *

When May realised that Dawn was entering the Rubello Town contest as well, she was both excited and apprehensive at once. They'd greeted each other with their usual enthusiasm, excited and giggling and pleased. But Dawn seemed a little down, and there was a dullness to her that was unfamiliar to May. She pressed and checked if Dawn had been sleeping well, and had been doing okay, but Dawn was quick to assure her she was fine and that there was no need to worry so May went along with it. She had too much to worry about in that moment to focus on whether Dawn was feeling one hundred percent.

Drew had won his fourth ribbon in Verdanturf, which really pleased and relieved May. He had sounded a little brighter when she spoke to him about the contest on the phone, and a lot more positive than he had been about most of his contests so far that season. It was a huge weight of her shoulders that he was starting to do better, but added a whole new pressure to the season all over again. If Drew was on top form as well as Dawn, and Solidad, and Harley, and Marina… May was starting to wonder whether the season would end the way she'd hoped after all.

The appeals round went as it always did. Meowstic performed beautifully, and was through to the battle rounds without much event. Dawn was using her Quilava in the contest, and when they came to face off in the semi-finals, May knew if she didn't win it would hang over her for the entire Grand Festival. She needed a win under her belt against Dawn to push her into a confident winning streak at the Grand Festival, and winning her final ribbon would be the best way to do that.

"Meowstic, take the stage!"

"Quilava, spotlight!"

They faced off cautiously, neither sure who would make the first move. Dawn may have won the last battle, but May was far more experienced with one on one battling, and Dawn was well aware of that. In the end, Quilava sent off a hot flame wheel aimed right at Meowstic, not sure what else she could do, and May smiled, blocking and retaliating with psychic all at once, falling back into the rhythm she was comfortable with. This was the kind of contest she excelled in.

Once she collected her fifth ribbon, May let out a long breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. Meowstic had performed beautifully, and Dawn had struggled more than she'd anticipated. It was a relief, knowing that the Wallace Cup didn't lead her into a loop of repeatedly losing to Dawn. It gave her a little more confidence that the Festival would work out a little better for her. Dawn was gracious in defeat, and even teased May a little that it was all going to be settled in the Grand Festival anyway, so at the end of the day it didn't mean much.

They caught up a little after the contest. Dawn asked how Max was, and May filled her in on the basics but didn't bother mentioning her fight with her father. After that contest she was headed back to Petalburg anyway, and she was confident it would be ironed out sooner or later. Dawn complained stiffly about her travels and how she felt like she was beginning to wear through her boots, and May watched her carefully, still a little suspicious something was wrong. She asked again, but Dawn brushed over it loosely, telling her brightly she hadn't slept well the night before and how she would get an early night that night and all would be right as ever, and 'no need to worry!' May didn't feel comfortable in it, though. Something about her felt strange, but Dawn pouted her way through the conversation seamlessly and gave May no opportunity to question her further. So in the end, she dropped it, enjoying her friend's company and the milkshakes they'd bought together. There was something about milkshakes that really appealed to May, especially the ones that weren't really milkshakes but were more ice cream and chocolate sauce blended into a runny mixture. They talked more about the Grand Festival, about where Dawn would go next to get her next ribbon, about appeals they were thinking of trying out. They talked about Ash a little, too.

"Have you heard from him recently?" May asked, leaning forward and sucking the last of her milkshake up through her straw. She wondered for a moment about getting a second one.

"Yeah, he's doing really good I think" Dawn smiled. "He said he was on his way to Anistar City, but that was a few weeks ago. There's a gym there, and a… showcase? Whatever that is."

"Mmm, Anistar is so pretty, you would love it!" May beamed, giggling a little. "It's really wonderful. And a showcase - oh man, okay, one day I am taking you to watch some showcases in Kalos, they are right up your street. They're like these pageants that you enter with your Pokémon! There's this skills round first which can be literally anything, like a fashion round or baking or whatever, and then there's the performance round when you do these intricate performances with your Pokémon" May explained, getting excited. "I watched a few while I was there. I tried to enter one once but it was baking and I got overconfident, and… I think I set the judges tongue on fire."

"Remind me never to eat anything you've cooked," Dawn drawled, rolling her eyes a little. "Ever. It sounds cool though! What's the name of that girl again? The one Ash is travelling with? She's been entering them."

"I want to say Sarah?" May blinked, thinking. "Or Serena. Actually, yeah, it's Serena. Well we should see if we can find a video of it online! I really think you'd love it. They get really really dressed up, and…"

"I'm sold" Dawn nodded, filled with new life. "Let's get a couple more milkshakes to go and get to a computer." May smiled, proud of her friend's growing gluttony. Dawn grabbed one of those fruity ones, full of actual pieces of fruit (which May didn't understand, because while fruit was all well and good, it had no place making her consumption of a milkshake difficult, and it always blocked up the end of the straw), and May got another triple chocolate salted caramel with added chocolate sauce and white chocolate cream. Dawn looked at her in a pained, confused way, and all the way to the Pokémon Center complained about how unfair it was that May was still so slim. May ignored her happily, slurping loudly.

The Pokémon Center computers were notoriously slow, but they managed to find one that was capable of running a stream of the showcase they were looking for. There was only one chair to a computer, so Dawn sat on May's lap, and they shared headphone buds between them because it was poor manners to the other computer users to play the crackly noise of a bad stream for the whole room to hear. There were people in there drafting emails home, or taking online trainer courses in preparation for when they retired and needed to start thinking about the real world.

The showcase was pretty, with big lights and dramatic music. Dawn was instantly hooked. They spotted Serena early on; she was in the first quiz round. May and Dawn set up a little contest between the two of them, guessing the answers to each of the questions and whoever got the most right at the end would have to buy the other their drink of choice at the opening ceremony after party at the Grand Festival. When Serena got through, they celebrated quietly, both becoming enamoured with the girl's shy smile and pretty hair.

"Serena's a real cutie," Dawn had commented lightly, tilting her head to the side a little as she watched her.

"Yeah! I'd love to meet her, she seems real sweet" May agreed, leaning on the counter a little. "What a total doll."

When the quiz rounds ended - Dawn beat May by a solid four questions, which lead to a lot of smug grins and scowls - and the performance rounds began, Dawn was overwhelmed by all the beautiful routines and how brave a lot of them were.

"That girl is literally being carried around by her Ivysaur, can you imagine?" Dawn shuddered. "That takes a lot of guts and trust. I mean, I trust my Pokémon, but I don't think I could stand to risk falling like that in front of an audience, it would be too scary. I get nervous enough as it is!"  
"I know what you mean," May hummed, a little more thoughtful. "When's Serena coming on already? I mean, she was in the first round of the quizzes, why is she so late in the performance round?"

"Who knows?" Dawn shrugged. "She'll turn up. I doubt she would get through the quiz round and just be like nah, I'm done now, bye guys."

"True," May laughed. Dawn always said things in a way that made her giggle. "Ah! There she is!"

They both sat quietly, ready to dissect the girl's performance. They weren't in anyway particularly against Serena, in fact, all either of them had heard from Ash had been good things. But they were both very curious, as they were about all of the girls Ash had travelled with. May had filled Dawn in on Misty, and Dawn had filled May in on Iris, but neither of them had any clue about who this new, pretty Kalosian girl was other than that Ash sometimes complained she slipped into the Kalosian language way too much. He'd tried to learn it apparently, but had gotten confused by the idea that some words were masculine and some were feminine and had given up. When Serena stepped forward, an upbeat, happy sounding song began to play and fill up the arena. Both Dawn and May agreed that the song was cute, her dress was really pretty, and that her Braixen performed beautifully with her Pancham in the opening moves. Everything was fireworks and sparkles. It was when Serena started dancing, alongside her two Pokémon, twirling in the chaos of lights and shimmering moves that both May and Dawn became completely engrossed, not even commenting to the other for a moment. She twirled and span with grace and abandon, her Pokémon dancing both with her and separate from her at the same time, all doing their own thing and yet all wrapped in this incredible performance together. It left them breathless.

"It's beautiful," Dawn sighed as the final fireworks of her Pokémon's moves shimmered across the stage. The three bowed together, giggling and pleased.

"Completely stunning," May agreed, leaning forward and absorbing as much of it as she could. "I wonder…"

* * *

 **Twenty**

* * *

May had been home in Petalburg for about a week. Her birthday was something she always celebrated determinedly. They only came once a year, and to her, it was a magical day. There was something important about keeping track of dates, and of memories, and of occasions. She forgot about a lot of things, but dates would never be one of them, and to make sure of that she had little reminders set in her phone of every occasion she might want to remember in years to come. It was important to her that memories were cherished and held on to if they made you happy. Things that make you happy are important to keep close to you. And so the anniversary of May being born, and gaining life, felt like the most important of all to her, because it marked the day everything began and all the events that led her to where she was now began to take place. And now, she had been alive for twenty years, and it made her a little reflectful.

She was sat upright in her bed, in soft, childish pyjamas she had owned since she was ten and they had been way too big for her. But now they were short in the leg and the arms, and she had to leave the front of her shirt unbuttoned mostly so that it was comfortable to move around in. She didn't have the heart to get rid of them though, they were soft, and comfortable, and honestly she was so small herself she wasn't so much bigger than she had been when they began to fit her at thirteen. She was nothing like the person she thought she'd be by twenty. It felt like such an age to aspire to. In Unova, the legal drinking age was twenty one, but nowhere else adhered to that, sticking to a solid eighteen (or sixteen, in Kalos). But there was still this weird assumption that went with the number twenty. It was paraded around as the end of something, and the beginning of adulthood. There was no longer a 'teen' on the end of her age. There was no more adolescent excuses, or teenaged years, or childhood memories to create. She was, physically, fully grown and expected more of now. It was a daunting thought, but also an empowering one. She looked at her pyjamas. Maybe it was time to replace them after all.

Her phone was full of happy birthday messages. Ash's had been the one sent earliest, thanks to time zone differences, and Brock's followed on at a slightly more reasonable time. Dawn and Zoey and Solidad and Brianna, and Marina and Kenny and even Harley… they'd all sent lovely congratulations and promises of celebrations next time they met up, and it filled her with a lovely warm feeling. May loved her friends very much, and felt very lucky to have them.

She dressed quickly in slouchy, comfortable clothes, and found her mother in the kitchen. Norman was already in the gym; he'd had an early challenger. Max wasn't awake yet. It was very early to be awake, really. It wasn't even seven yet. But May had gotten into the habit while on the road, because you had to be up early to make the most of the day and feed your Pokémon. She only really slept in after contests these days. The thought stayed with her for a moment, wondering if that was another daunting surge of adulthood.

Her mother made a big fuss over her, as she always did. Her pancakes were shaped like a heart, and her sitrus juice in a big, novelty glass, as it was every birthday morning she'd spent at home for as long as she could remember. She didn't have the heart to tell her mother she'd rather coffee to snap her into being a little more awake and a little less pensive.

"Some mail came for you," Caroline told her pleasantly, grabbing a couple of small parcels from the door. May smiled, and took them eagerly. Normally she'd pile them together with gifts from her family and open them when they were all together in the evening, but today she didn't bother, tearing into them. The first was from Ash, of course, who'd sent her a travel sized Pokémon care kit, to help with grooming Pokémon and making them look their best. He wasn't very good at gift buying as a rule, so she imagined his new friends in Kalos helped him out. Brock had sent her something too, a small book he'd obviously written out himself of berry combinations and recipes for different Pokémon foods that might bring out the best quality in her Pokémon for contests, with handwritten notes everywhere as to what might work best with which Pokémon and how to get just the right consistencies. It was a treasure trove of Brock's mind, and May was instantly grateful for it.

The third was from Drew, she'd guessed, and she was right. Ever since winning his fifth ribbon, he'd sealed himself off from civilisation, training in the depths of Meteor Falls. He came out from the caves maybe once every few weeks for supplies, or at least that was his plan, but he hadn't been there long enough to come out once yet. His phone was off, or out of battery, or something, and she knew that if it hadn't been for his worrisome season he probably would have taken the time to come see her. But the Grand Festival this year was daunting for him, and she had encouraged him to do what he felt like he needed to do. She figured he must have posted whatever it was to be sent to her a while back. When she opened it, there was a little note inside. It was short and to the point, an apology for not being there mostly, and an explanation of the gift. He'd bought it years ago, just after she left for Kalos, while he was training around the Whirl Islands. May frowned as she read it; he never had explained why he'd waited in the Whirl Islands for so long before leaving for Sinnoh. It was unlike him, and she worried that it had been because of her. A more optimistic part of her hoped he had been training with Robert some more.

The box held a bracelet. It was from the silver rock famous in the Whirl Islands, and she vaguely remembered admiring it way back when she and Drew had been shown around the island by Robert before the Grand Festival. But it had been such a throwaway event, something when retelling the story of the Johto Grand Festival to someone that she would have described in a sentence. It was such a tiny, tiny detail, and it surprised her that Drew had bought and kept this all these years. It was a very pretty bracelet. It was just a simple, thin silver band with a square of the silver rock embedded into the back, which glistened as it caught the light. Caroline saw it and made some teasing comment about how sweet it was that Drew had bought her jewellery, but somehow that cliché didn't really seem to fit with this gift in May's mind, and it told a much sweeter story in her head when she thought of their time in Johto together. It had been awkward and unsure, and he had been so determined to both win and to support her. May bit her lip. She had known Drew a long time now, and they were both very different than the two ten year olds who had met on Slateport Beach. They were both very different than the two seventeen year olds on the ferry to Johto, teasing each other about a bottle of water. She wondered who she would be, turning twenty today, without having him to push her and provoke her all those years ago. But the thought process was sad and unimaginable, so she pushed it to the side while she slipped the bracelet over her wrist, tucking the little letter that came with it back inside its envelope, smiling to herself. They would miss Drew's birthday as well. He was determined to keep himself holed away until the festival.

It always amused her when she remembered she was a few months older than him. When they'd met she'd presumed he was a year older than her, but actually he'd just been determined to start coordinating the second he'd turned ten, and she'd taken a long time after her birthday to leave home, and longer to enter her first contest. He'd been training adamantly all summer, entering practice contests and meeting Solidad there, who'd just lost in the Hoenn Grand Festival. The more she heard about his first months away from home from Solidad the more heart-breaking it was. He'd been so angry at so much. It wasn't surprising he'd behaved so superior and smug.

When Max surfaced, and Norman returned, they celebrated a little. Caroline made a real point of showing off May's bracelet to Norman, who rolled his eyes a little and told her off for being so meddlesome in her daughter's relationship. But May spent most of her birthday training. Her parents were each helping her individually with her appeals. Once May had explained the concepts for each of them, and what she needed them to help her with, Caroline had been incredibly eager and excited and Norman had been apprehensive, which made him much more willing to help. Today she worked with Norman. Her singles appeal was going to be using Blaziken, and Norman insisted that May didn't go near the appeal itself until it was perfect. It was a dangerous appeal, and a lot could go wrong that could harm May irreversibly. When they returned to the residence, and Caroline showed May her progress on sewing together a new contest outfit especially for the appeal, it was May who was apprehensive and Caroline who was relaxed. Her doubles appeal was going to be with Beautifly and Altaria. It was risky in a completely different way, and if it clashed with what the judges wanted to see, May knew she would be out. But it was a risk she knew would pay off if it went well, and Grand Festivals were no time to play it safe if you planned to win. Appeals were about more than getting through to the next round, they were about setting standards for the judges and intimidating your competition, and May wanted everyone who attended the Hoenn Grand Festival to know that this year she was there to win.

* * *

 **Slateport City**

* * *

Staying with her parents in the lengthy space of time between her fifth ribbon and the Grand Festival gave her the luxury of a lift to Slateport. Caroline and Max were both on board to come watch the festival, but Norman regretfully told her he'd have to stay at the gym, and she'd understood as best she could. It was a relief for the transportation though, because May would have struggled to fit her contest clothes into her fanny pack without crushing them. They were only for her second appeal, but the alterations her mother had made meant it needed to be kept carefully. When she'd gotten her dorm room for the festival, May was thrilled to find Dawn was in the dorm room directly opposite to hers. From the moment they realised, both doors were left wide open while they were inside (unless they were changing), and they would throw a bouncy ball into the other's room when they were bored, or send paper airplanes flying through with notes attached. It was silly, and they could easily have just walked across, but it was more fun to annoy the other as much as possible.

Drew had left Meteor Falls and finally charged his phone, so May knew he'd be arriving later that day. They had agreed they'd do something that evening to make up for missing each other's birthdays, something simple, like go out for a meal together or just anything that wasn't training, really, but it would depend on how tired he was when he finally got to Slateport, she imagined. It wasn't a short trip, and he didn't tend to sleep well when he was anxious about something like he'd been anxious about the Grand Festival. But May bumped into Matthew in the main hall, and he'd greeted her pleasantly. It surprised her that he was there, but she was really glad, too. It was wonderful that his father was becoming a supportive figure in Drew's life, and May encouraged it adamantly.

The opening ceremonies were taking place the next day, so everywhere May looked coordinators were greeting their friends and families, or challenging each other like old rivals. May spotted a handful of newbies, and she remembered her first festival there, with her mother and Ash, Brock and Max cheering her on, and Harley tricking her into that fateful assist attack. She paused at the memory. A lot had happened since then.

"May," Solidad greeted her, a hand landing on her shoulder unexpectedly. May squeaked, turning and facing her with a sudden jump. "How's it going? Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you!"

"Solidad!" May grinned, hugging her taller friend around the midsection. "Ah, it's great to see you!"

"You too, May" Solidad laughed kindly. "Has Drew turned up yet? I got a mildly concerning phone call from him this morning and I wanted to talk to him."

"Oh!" May blinked, a little surprised. "No, he's not here yet. He said he'd get here sometime this afternoon. Why are you concerned? Is something wrong?" Solidad hesitated, looking deeply unsettled for a moment. May looked at her curiously, feeling suddenly very out of the loop.

"No" Solidad decided, clicking her tongue. "Everything is fine, May. Don't worry."

"Solidad…" May felt suddenly very unsettled. She was about to ask more, when arms flung themselves around the two girls, squeezing them together in a tight, awkward embrace. "Hn!"

"Harley!" Solidad squeaked, laughing tiredly. "Harley let go!"

"Ohhhh I'm just so happy to see my two best girlfriends!" Harley squealed, twisting them around himself cheerfully. "It's so good to see you both! Are you both excited for the festival? May, do you remember competing here together all those years ago? Ah, the memories!"

"I remember," May replied warily, happy to pull away as he let go. Harley gave a big flip of his lilac hair, his fingers splaying as it caught the air. "I think it'd be impossible to forget."

"I hope you're not still in a mood with me," Harley pouted a little, ruffling May's hair around under her bandana. She grunted, trying to fix it quickly. "I would hate to think we were still fallen out."

"You fell out?" Solidad frowned, looking between them. "What happened? I thought you two got on a lot better these days."

"Well, four eyes here got mad at me for getting grouchy with boyfriend" Harley waved her off. "It's nothing _big_ , right May?"

"Right," May replied diplomatically. "It's not a concern." She gave Harley a long look, trying to figure him out. She couldn't tell if he was plotting something again, although recent history suggested he wouldn't. He'd grown up; they all had. But May couldn't shake her bad feeling around him, like there was something she didn't know, or something he hadn't disclosed. It bothered her.

* * *

Solidad was glad to catch him before May did. Drew was surprised to see her waiting for him by the city entrance with her arms folded tightly, but pleased too. He'd wanted to catch her, as well.

"Seriously?" She teased as he came closer into view. On his way, he'd stopped by in Mauville for an afternoon and followed some advice he'd listened to May give Dawn a while back. "They're back?"

"Mock the aqua pants all you want," Drew snorted, uncaring. "They're part of who I am." Part of him had missed them, but mostly, he'd gotten them to spite May. He'd retired his old shirt and jacket as well, his time in the stuffy depths of Meteor Falls had led him to a loose, cooler black t-shirt circled with a purple stripe around his midsection. He'd be the first to admit it wasn't much of an upgrade, but he wasn't one for change, really.

They walked slowly together, covering small talk before they hit the big conversation that loomed over them. They talked about training, about the festival, about Harley and May falling out and caught up on anything they might have missed with the other for the past few months of Drew's absence. May wasn't the only one who liked to check in on him, and the complete silence from him during his training had bothered Solidad. They even talked about Max and his leg, and getting him back to Petalburg, and it was when Drew mentioned talking with Caroline that Solidad hardened.

"How long have you been thinking about this?" She asked gruffly. Drew shrugged.

"I think since around Christmas," Drew admitted. "May's family does a very… Unova themed Christmas, and it made me realise I didn't know much about the region's traditions. So, I started looking it up."

"You've made your mind up about this, haven't you?" Solidad asked, weary. Drew gave a sort of half nod, half gesture away from her. "Why haven't you talked to May?"

"How do you know I haven't?" Drew challenged, but Solidad gave him a long, firm glare. "Alright, so I haven't. I don't want to distract her, she's very focused on winning this festival and I respect that. I don't want to throw her off."

"I think you should tell her," Solidad warned sagely. "If she found out from someone else, say, her mother, instead of you…"

"Caroline isn't going to say anything, and nor are you" Drew told her firmly. "May will find out as soon as the Grand Festival is over. I intend to ask her to come with me."

"You do?" Solidad paused, a little surprised. "Oh. That's… unexpected. I thought you were just isolating yourself to lick your wounds. And I was going to yell at you."

"No," Drew gave her a funny look. "I'm following your advice, actually."

"You're… you are following my advice, aren't you?" Solidad swallowed thickly. "This isn't for you specifically."

"Stop looking at me like that" Drew scowled. "You said I needed to… I don't know, talk to people more and trust them and stuff. Which is lame. But I don't mind doing that with her, so…"

"There are no contests in Unova," Solidad continued, smiling. "No reason not to travel together."

"Her family has history in Unova. And she likes exploring big cities. And there's one of the biggest cities in the world at the port, which is famous for ice cream" Drew scoffed. "How can I go wrong?"

"You're such a loser!" Solidad burst out laughing. "Oh Arceus you're so lame. That's adorable. You're going to take a year off just to spend a year fawning over your girlfriend!"

"That's not true," Drew snapped, a little touchy. "It's with the goal in mind of coming back to coordinating the next year without the same problems I had this year."

"And that'll help, I really think this will help," Solidad agreed, still laughing. "But you're still so lame, oh my goodness. Max is right, you're such a weenie!"

"Solidad," Drew scowled, giving her a warning glare.

"There is one problem though," Solidad coughed, her laughter dying down. "I don't think you've considered it."

"I'm aware" Drew drawled, glancing at his watch. They weren't far off the main hall now, and if he registered straight away he could find her by four. "What if May doesn't win."

"She won't want to talk a year off, not now" Solidad nodded along with him, frowning. "She'll want to keep trying until she wins. I don't think she'd... well…"

"Like I said, I'm aware." Drew gave her a sidelong look. "Which is another reason not to tell her. Because if she doesn't win, I won't bother. I can wait."

"You need that break though, don't you?" Solidad frowned. "That's what you said on the phone. You wanted to have a year of not being stressed about contests so you could enjoy them again. If you go into another season with that mind-set, then you're just going to struggle all over again, and…"

"I can wait," Drew repeated, not looking at her. Solidad went quiet, staring at him with surprised, sad eyes. "What?"

"I don't want you to sacrifice your ambitions for hers," she told him softly. "Neither would May."

"Well that's a conversation I'll have with her at some point, I'm sure" he offered, attempting to appease her. The hall was coming into view, in all its beautiful grandeur. It was an imposing, colourful building, and was teeming with life in the preparations taking place. The eve of a grand festival was always stressful and full of anxious staff and coordinators, desperate to be ready in time, but Drew felt confident. He had trained well enough to know he wouldn't embarrass himself, not like he had in Sootopolis. He knew he'd perform well enough to walk away with respect. If he won, it would be a surprise, but one that would negate his need to go to Unova in the first place. If he didn't win, and May did, he was certain she would be happy to take another year off. She wasn't the kind to blindly follow ambition. If neither of them won, he wasn't sure what would happen. But something would, and he was sure they'd be ready for it when it came.

Just inside the doors, he saw her talking to his father and laughing at something he'd said. He smiled, remembering the conversation he'd had with his father the summer before. It was nice that they seemed to get on well, now.

"May and your Dad seem close," Solidad commented, a little taken back.

"I'm surprised too," Drew scoffed. "But I'm getting used to getting surprised. Come on."

They began to walk inside, but as they did, Drew felt an overwhelming urge to turn and look behind him. He'd thought he'd heard something, but maybe not. It must have been nothing.

* * *

 **The Grand Festival: Opening Ceremonies**

* * *

Of all the Grand Festivals, Hoenn was Drew's favourite due to the lack of dressing up like a fool. It was casual, and because of the blistering heat of Slateport in the summer all of the ceremonies and appeals rounds were held outside. With Hoenn being the birthplace of contests, it was also the best attended in the world. There were crowds that seemed to go on for miles, screams that filled the entire city, and dozens and dozens of fan clubs, all turning out on masses to support their favourites. He knew he had one hidden amongst the throngs, and so did May, 'Princess of Hoenn'. She seemed a little nervous, and had admitted the night before that it all felt a little daunting this year. They'd gotten dinner together last night, and made up for the months of limited contact. It felt like stepping back into his body, or regaining a missing limb.

There were a few hours left before the ceremonies began, so he was having a quick coffee with his father before he needed to head to meet the other coordinators. Matthew seemed pleased at the news of how hard he'd been training, but was less pleased at his self-isolation.

"I've been trying to get in touch with you for the past two months," Matthew admitted a little tensely.

"Is everything alright?" Drew gave him an apprehensive glance, taking a long gulp of his drink. It was still a little hot, but he didn't mind much. He'd missed coffee, trapped inside Meteor Falls for so long.

"Oh, yes" Matthew looked away. "Technically, yes. I just have some news I thought you might want to be aware of. It's about your mother."

"Karen," Drew corrected quickly. It felt too familiar to refer to her as his mother anymore. "What's she done now?"

"She's been admitted into rehab" Matthew replied, not reacting to Drew's assertion. Drew paused, quiet. "It seems over the past year she's gone off the rails a little. She developed a strong preference for heroin, not unlike she did when she was younger, I think. Police tracked her down and put her in a facility."

"She was fine when I saw her in Sinnoh," Drew stated blankly, a little overwhelmed. "She was fine."

"I don't want you to think too much about this," Matthew warned carefully. "I just didn't want you seeing anything online and thinking I'd hidden it from you."

"No, that's… fine, thanks." Drew shook his head a little. "Was it because of me?"

"This is what I mean - don't think about it" Matthew reiterated, grabbing his shoulders and forcing his son to look him in the eye. "Andrew, you weren't at fault. Your mother is prone to making bad choices, and you are not to blame for any of them."

"I walked away from her," Drew continued, feeling his eyes growing wide. "If I hadn't…"

"If you hadn't she would have manipulated you and used you to feed her desperation for attention from the media" Matthew finished, moving his hands to grip Drew's face. "Andrew, there is no way you could have saved your mother from herself."

"Of course," Drew pulled back, uncomfortable with the physical reassurance. "I couldn't. I couldn't." He felt an overwhelming urge to find May, not really to talk to her, but just to be near her and have her stupid bubbly chatter distract him from his own thoughts. Drew felt a caffeine headache coming on. It had been his first coffee in a long time. "I should…"

"Go," Matthew nodded, pursing his lips. His arms hung limply by his sides. "You need to go."

* * *

May sat on the floor with her legs crossed. Coordinator's weekly was laid out on the floor in front of her. They'd just published the odds for this Grand Festival. Using statistics gathered up from performances through the season, they generated the coordinator most likely to win the festival that year. They used appeals scores and battle wins, how many contests won compared to how many lost, and so on. This year, she was tied for the first place in the bookie's maths, right along with her dear close friend, Dawn.

May swallowed thickly.

She'd known all through the season Dawn would be tough competition, especially after the Wallace Cup. But it felt scary how close she was to losing all of her hard work to Dawn, this powerhouse of a girl with a big smile and no reason to back down. It didn't help that May didn't want to beat her. It wasn't like her rivalry with Drew; May and Dawn didn't feed off defeating each other, or growing from each other's successes. Their friendship wasn't driven by their competition, like her relationship with Drew had been in the beginning. She wasn't sure if beating Dawn would be something they could bounce back from. She wasn't sure if she'd be able to forgive Dawn beating her, either.

It wasn't long until Dawn's head poked around the door, a little tearful. May looked up quickly, surprised. Dawn didn't cry often, only usually when she was frustrated rather than when she was sad, so May was quick to her feet and grabbing the girl into a big, enveloping hug that made Dawn break down a little more.

"I'm sorry," Dawn choked out, stomping her foot a little. "I didn't want to do this. I didn't want to tell you."

"It's okay," May soothed her, a little frantic as she dragged Dawn into her room and sat her down on her bed. "It's fine. What's wrong?"

"Paul" Dawn clarified with a cough. "Paul and I, we didn't… we never worked out. And I've been trying to fix it, and I thought he'd… I thought he'd come to the Festival, but he hasn't."

"What do you mean you never worked out?" May frowned, a little baffled. "Weren't you together? At the Wallace Cup?"

"No," Dawn shook her head, surprised. She rubbed away a couple of years with the back of her arm viciously. "No. I… I got the wrong message."

"I don't understand" May told her softly, kneeling in front of her. "Start from the beginning."

"Well, after Ash left for Kanto and I stayed home, I started working in Jubilife," Dawn explained sadly. "I bumped into Reggie there, Paul's brother. He was visiting a friend he'd had while he was travelling, or something. I don't remember. But we caught up, and he told me if I was ever in Veilstone I should stop by. So when Buneary had a photoshoot to do in Veilstone, I stopped by."

"And Paul was there" May finished, nodding. "Okay…"

"Anyway, he was rude to me, so I challenged him to a battle" Dawn continued. "I lost, but not terribly, and he was impressed. So he told me whenever I was in Veilstone he wouldn't mind training with me, and because Buneary got a lot of work out there, we trained together a lot. And then at Christmas, I just… decided to go visit him. On a bit of a whim. He asked me what I was going to do next, and I said Hoenn, and he said he might challenge the Hoenn region again and I thought that meant something, you know?"

"Yeah, that's understandable" May agreed, trying to keep her voice soft and calm. "So then…"

"We met up a few times, training together, the usual" Dawn shrugged, a little helpless. "He admired contest combinations, so when I mentioned the Wallace Cup, he remembered Ash entered it once and decided to give it a try, but I thought…"

"That he wanted to be with you." May was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

"After everyone left Sootopolis, Paul and I went to Mossdeep together, there was a contest coming up, and on the ferry, I... tried to kiss him, maybe" Dawn flushed pink, frowning. "And he got confused, and then I was confused, and then he kissed me anyway so I thought it was all fine. And… yeah. When we got to Mossdeep, I asked him if he wanted to travel together the rest of the time we were in Hoenn and maybe see if something happened between us, and he looked at me like I was an idiot."

"But he kissed you!" May protested, sulkily. "Why did he kiss you if…"

"He said he didn't travel with anyone, and he wasn't going to get himself into a situation where he was tied to anyone or anything" Dawn finished, looking down. "He ditched. I didn't enter the contest and got straight back to the mainland."

"That's why you were sad at the Rubello Town contest" May realised out loud. "Why didn't you talk to me?"

"Because you're my rival right now, May" Dawn sniffed, upset. "I'm supposed to battle against you. You're my biggest competition."

"Dawn, yes, we're rivals" May admitted, rubbing the back of her head. "But that can't get in the way of our friendship. Drew and I work, and we're rivals. Solidad is my rival too. And Zoey, and Kenny, you've been rivals with them for a very long time. But we're all friends, right?"

"It's different May, and you know it too" Dawn accused, prodding her in the chest lightly. May sighed, sitting next to her with a huff. Loosely, she wrapped her arms around Dawn and pulled her in for a side long hug.

"No matter who wins," May told her gently, listening to Dawn sniff next to her. "I'm still your best friend. And I'm still going to kill Paul. So, there we go."

"I really thought he'd come" Dawn said miserably. "When I left, I asked him to, if he changed his mind. And I really thought he would." She dissolved into another round of tears, and May sighed, smothering her in another big, all-encompassing hug.

* * *

The Opening Ceremonies were like a carnival. Loud, throbbing music filled the outdoor amphitheatre, and the crowds were so dense, police officers were hired to break them up a little to give the coordinators a space to walk through. It was like a parade, almost. It was what all of the opening ceremonies in other regions aspired to, but could never replicate. May remembered her first Grand Festival, walking through these screaming fans, and realising that was the moment she really, really loved being a coordinator.

Before they walked into the chaos, May was thrilled to find a small gathering of all of their friends, and dragged Dawn over with her. Dawn was still a little sad and sniffy, but smiled when she spotted their cluster of rivals all talking happily together. It was reassuring.

Marina was talking down to Kenny quite confidently, a little flick of her hair away from really irritating him. Solidad was talking to Drew in that calm, motherly manner she had, and Drew was trying to duck away from her advice and love to retain his dignity - there was press crawling around looking for gossip, and he didn't want to provide any. Harley was dancing around, enjoying the music and ignoring Drew's presence pointedly, but was hugely thrilled to see May and Dawn approach and leapt towards them to grab their hands and pull them over.

"Aw, guys!" Harley crooned, beaming. "Our little family grew! And now we're all together!"

"Do you have an off switch?" Marina sighed, leaning on her hip a little. "May from Petalburg. Hope you're ready to lose."

"How do you always get the rivals who get really angry about beating you," Dawn asked, giving May a sidelong look. "Iris was the same. I just don't get it. I wonder if Serena or Misty get that. Do you think I'm the only one of Ash's girl squad who has all of their rivals love them?"

"Ursula," May replied dryly, raising an eyebrow. "And you're exaggerating. Solidad was always nice to me."

"I'm here too, but thanks May, I appreciate your fond words." Drew rolled his eyes. May raised an eyebrow.

"You've got no finesse" she mocked in a silly, nasal voice. "No style!"

"I don't talk like that." Drew scowled. Kenny snorted.

"Yeah," he chimed in, always keen to bring Drew down a peg. "Yeah you do."

"Let's stop bickering for five minutes," Solidad scolded them all. "We know that Drew has a weird voice, that's fine. But we have a festival to focus on, and teasing Drew can always come after the ceremonies."

"I don't have a weird voice!" Drew protested disparagingly. "I don't. I won't hear any more of this."

"That's fine, it gets boring talking about you anyway," Harley told him cheerfully. "So, I know Marina, of course, and I've been introduced to Kenny, but who is this pretty little blue thing over here?"

"Oh, this is Dawn," May filled in. She'd forgotten they hadn't met. "Dawn, you remember I told you about Harley, right?"

"How could I forget," Dawn gave May a sidelong, apprehensive look. "Nice to meet you."

"May, tell me why girlfriend here has puffy red eyes," Harley demanded, stomping his foot and cupping Dawn's face. "What on earth made you cry, hon?"

"You've been crying?" Kenny looked at her sharply, and Dawn let out an exhausted, long breath.

"Maybe don't be so in your face about it, guys" May laughed awkwardly, peeling Harley off Dawn nervously. "She's fine." Drew gave her a funny look, and she shook her head a little sadly. She'd fill him in later. "I think we're about to go through, the front of the crowd is beginning to move.

"Let's go!" Dawn grinned a big, fake grin, and May grabbed her hand pointedly, giving her a huge smile as they walked together, united. May felt a little bad not walking with Drew, but she knew Dawn needed her at that moment and she was determined to be there, reassuring her that their rivalry wouldn't interfere with their friendship. Drew was walking with Solidad, seeming to pick up on that, something she was grateful for. But they walked together in a big cluster, waving to the fans which seemed to be getting louder and louder with every moment. The music was full of heavy drum beats and a big brassy, triumphant melody that made May start singing along under her breath, and soon Dawn was doing the same. It wasn't long until they were laughing and singing and dancing along in the crowds, spinning and twirling between each other as the procession went on. Most of the coordinators were walking primly and nervously, the opening of the Grand Festival was such a tense experience for so many and it felt wrong with the music and the crowds. A few people noticed them dancing together, and others even started to join in. By the time they were in the centre of the amphitheatre it was like a street party, full of squeals as people were spun around and laughter as they mixed into a great mess of excitement. Out of the corner of her eye, May could have sworn she even saw Drew smile and twirl Solidad reluctantly.

The announcements went on, Mr Contesta giving his usual speech and list of the events. Appeals would start the next day. There would be two appeals, a singles appeal and a doubles appeal, and any special requests for the stage should be given in before the end of the day. The battle rounds would be doubles battles, and then following the success from the trial run at the Wallace Cup, the quarter finals to the finals would all be full six on six battles. At the news, May tensed, but reassured herself quietly only three people in this festival had experience battling in that style, and she was one of them. There was a chance she could use it to her advantage.

* * *

"Thank you, Vivian" May smiled politely as Vivian gave her a big grin. "I really appreciate it."

"I've got to say May, I'm intrigued!" Vivian told her lightly, wrinkling her nose a little. "I've never had a stage request like it before!"

"Just trying to mix things up a little" May replied nervously, giggling with a sort of anxious energy. "Thanks again! I should get back to the party." As soon as May had spotted the commentator in the crowds of the after party, she'd swallowed her apprehension and made her way across. She wasn't sure what the protocol for requests like this was, and she wasn't even sure if she'd be allowed, but it was a relief to know that it was. Vivian gave a little wave as she made her way back into the masses of the party, looking for her friends. Solidad and Dawn were dancing somewhere, and she didn't really feel like dancing herself. Kenny was at the bar with Marina again, both talking intensely, which surprised May, but pleased her too. It was nice to see Marina making friends, and to see Kenny doing something other than pine for Dawn. She decided to head straight for the buffet. There had been these amazing sweet potato fries the last time she'd competed there, and she was dying to find them. Max was somewhere with Caroline too, she was sure, but once the thought of those fries had come to mind, May knew where she needed to be. When the buffet finally came to view between the crowds, she was a little amused to see Drew, with Max hovering over him, grinning widely with his glasses glinting in the light, propped up comfortably on his crutches.

"... I know, it's because you're scared of losing to me." Max was doing his best to wind Drew up, and clearly it was working, as Drew's face got tighter and tighter. "You're worried that if I lose to you you'll be even _more_ of a weenie. Well I'm here to reassure you, Drew. There's no way you could be more of a weenie. Your weenie levels couldn't get any higher. They're at the limit. It's unbreakable."

"I swear to Mew, Max" Drew grunted, flashing a glare at him. "I am not above setting Flygon on you."

"You're not above many things, to be fair" Max shrugged, smiling innocently. "You're pretty short." Drew stared at him silently for a moment, his mouth agape. Max didn't say anything, but tossed a grape from the table up and caught it neatly in his mouth.

"... Now listen here, you three legged shit" Drew began, his eyes narrowing.

"Drew! Max!" May giggled as she arrived, looping her arm around Drew's obliviously. "I was wondering where you guys where. Enjoying the party?"

"Lots" Max chirped. "Drew's always great company." Drew didn't reply, but took a particularly soft grape and threw it at him, taking a little delight as it splattered against his glasses, falling to the floor and leaving a trail of juice against the glass. Max scowled and took his glasses off with one hand, carefully balancing himself as he polished them clean on the end of his shirt. "Uncalled for."

"I don't think so," Drew gave him a sidelong look. "How many limbs do you want broken by the way? I was under the impression you were happy with one."

"Oooh, the weenie is threatening me" Max mocked, trying to stop himself from laughing to the point that his voice squeaked a little. "I'm so scared!"

"Leave" Drew glared, and Max hobbled away, laughing joyously. "May, we need to end him. We need to destroy him. We need to pick him apart, bit by bit, and…"

"Whoa there Al Capone, let's not get ahead of ourselves" May laughed, putting a hand to his cheek. "You're a little touchy. Are you okay?"

"Yes - yes I'm fine." He seemed a little unsure, so May tilted her head a little, giving him a long look. "I'm fine, really. Just tired. How's Dawn?"

"Oh, she'll be alright" May sighed, looking towards where she was dancing with Solidad sadly. "Paul was a dick. She's upset, and she thought she couldn't talk to me about it because we're rivals now, or something."

"Paul was a dick?" Drew arched an eyebrow, silently waiting for her elaborate. May sighed.

"He kissed her and blew her off. She told him to come to the Grand Festival if he changed her mind, and I don't know if you've seen a purple haired asshole around here lately but I sure haven't." May rolled her eyes a little as she spoke, leaning into him, and Drew scoffed. Secretly, she'd felt a little lucky whenever she thought about Dawn's situation.

"I'm pretty sure I have, but not the one you're looking for" Drew told her dryly, and May stifled a laugh. "I'm going to grab a drink, do you want anything?"

"Nah, I have sweet potato fries to track down" May told him proudly, holding her hand over her heart. "It's been a long time since I was at the Hoenn Grand Festival, but I couldn't forget that incredible spread. Meet me later?"

"Of course" he smirked, hiding a laugh, and kissed her chastely as he took off, weaving through the crowds towards the bar. She watched him go for a moment with a smile.

* * *

 **The Grand Festival: The Appeals Round**

* * *

Outdoor arenas meant the appeals rounds were limitless. Moves could fly sky high, or reach out wide across the audience, completely unhindered by the confines of a building with a finite amount of space. There were cameras and large screens everywhere, to make up for the reduced visibility that came with the less structured seating arrangement, and the bright, shining sun was something many coordinators played into with their appeal. Drew preferred it anyway, that's what he thought as he stepped out onto the stage, raising a hand up to the audience with a confident half smile. He could hear his little section of the audience with his fans screeching his name, and while it always made him uncomfortable, he directed a little wave to that part of the crowd.

He called on Masquerain, and set up a spiraling, skyward bubble beam, which caught the blisteringly bright sun and refracted the light, creating a shimmering beam of rainbows, glaring in the summer sky. He followed up with silver wind, breaking the bubbles up and sending them flying across the audience, shining back on Masquerain but sending the appeal out to delight the whole audience. He scored well enough, as he anticipated, but really he hadn't done anything new or particularly exciting. But he'd ticked enough boxes and he knew that, along with the quality of his Masquerain, would get him through.

May wasn't there when he returned to the waiting area for the coordinators, a large collection of tents with refreshments and more big screens so that they could watch the competition. He asked Dawn if he'd seen her, but she just shrugged and said that her appeal was quite late in the day so maybe she just hadn't gotten there yet. It didn't sound like her; she liked to take her time in the mornings, yes, but she enjoyed watching appeals and he didn't imagine she'd have wanted to miss his, she was too sentimental for that. It didn't bother him though; she'd arrive when she arrived. Just as he'd thought that, she turned up, looking more than annoyed, with Harley hovering after her, asking her again and again to just listen to him. Drew turned to watch them, suspicious.

"Harley, please" May reiterated, for what felt like the thousandth time. "You're wrong. I don't appreciate you lying to me to try and throw me off a contest."

"Hon, honestly," Harley was nearly laughing. "I'm not even lying! Why don't we go ask him now, hmm? See what he has to say?"

"You're not going to get in my head, Harley" May repeated, tired already. "Please leave me be, you've made me late enough as it is."

"May, sweetpea, why don't you just ask?" Harley continued, almost gleeful as he saw Drew watching them. "If I'm lying, what have you got to lose?" May paused, staring at him with narrowed eyes, on edge, but finding no faults in his logic. Drew suddenly felt incredibly concerned. He was too happy. He was enjoying May's confusion too much. It was Hoenn all over again, but he wouldn't let it run its course this time.

"Harley," Drew scowled, walking towards them cautiously. May's eyes flickered to him for a moment, almost nervously. "What are you doing this time? Trying to convince May appeals work best when you don't show up at all? Because maybe you should follow your own advice."

"Oh, you don't get to throw shade like that hon, not right now" Harley sniggered, over excited and trembling with excess energy. "I'm not the one on trial here."

"What are you talking about?" Drew snorted, looking to May for some clarification. She paused.

"Harley has been trying to convince me you're going to Unova after the Grand Festival" May told him lightly, almost noncommittally. "I told him that couldn't be true. Because you would have told me, right?"

For a moment, Drew felt his stomach plummet faster than ever before. She was staring at him with big, trusting eyes that were getting narrower and narrower the longer he took to reply, and Harley's laughter was growing louder and louder, mixed in with words like 'look at his face' and 'he looks like he's going to pass out'.

"... You would have told me," she repeated, her voice a little harder this time. "Right?"

"Can we talk about this somewhere else?" Drew asked weakly, his head spinning a little. "Please. I'm sure Harley has let out some vital information with this."

"Wait, are you serious?" May froze in place for a moment, and Harley's laughter was becoming warped and hysterical. It was ringing in his ears. He could feel his pulse in his fingers. She looked really, really mad. "You… you're going to Unova."

"No, well, yes, well" he panicked, unable to form a coherent sentence. "It's not what you think. It's definitely not what you're thinking."

"You think throwing a few clichés at me is going to explain what the hell is going on?" May was waiting for an answer, her hands on her hips firmly, and her lips tight and thin. He swallowed.

"I wanted to... uh, when I talked to Caroline about it, I…" Drew immediately regretted his words, watching her eyes flare open wider for a moment and her mouth fall open, completely blown back.

"You talked to my mother about it, but not to me" May stated, nonplussed. "Sure, okay. That makes sense. So Harley, and my Mom knew. Anyone else I can add to that list? Maybe my brother? Or maybe you told a passing stranger on the street, but oops, best not tell May, right?" She looked around, suddenly feeling very exposed. "Hey, what about that guy over there? Never met him before, so maybe you told him over a cup of coffee this morning! What did you do to swear him to secrecy? Hm? Because I'm certain you've made sure that no one would let me know if you were able to tell my mother, but not me!"

"Just… Just Solidad. I didn't tell Harley, I don't know how he found out… May," Drew grabbed her wrist, trying to quieten her down. "You're getting hysterical. Can we talk somewhere else, and if you would let me explain…"

"No!" She pulled her wrist from his hand forcefully, catching the attention of some of the other coordinators in the room, leaving Drew to panic more. Far too many people were watching, and May was far too upset. "No, I don't want to talk about this somewhere else. I gave you a chance to explain and you just stood there and didn't say anything and now I'm really really upset and I don't want to look at you." She sniffed a little, a tell-tale sign she was about to start crying, and turned away from him. "Arceus, why didn't you tell me? I… I can't be mad at you for wanting to go, that would be hypocritical of me. But why couldn't you just _tell_ me." She was walking away before he had a chance to clear his head, and when he finally focused again, Harley was still laughing and May was long gone. People were still looking over, staring, entranced at the development of _that_ coordinating couple, the one everyone was always talking about, the infamous May and Drew, having a big public fight. Drew blanked. They hadn't had a fight since they were kids, and it had never really been an awful fight, or anything like that. Nothing so… explosive. Drew looked across at Harley, who was still giggling to himself, and narrowed his eyes.

"When did you find out?" He challenged, stepping a little closer to him. "What did you tell her?"

"If you're going to talk to someone about a private matter, honey, you shouldn't do it in the middle of the street" Harley told him teasingly, tapping him on the nose. "I told her you were going to Unova after the Grand Festival. Why, was there another part of that that I should have mentioned?" He laughed a little. "It must have slipped my mind.

"She won't be mad when I explain, and when I explain you knew all of it all along she's going to be furious that you've manipulated her, again" Drew told him fiercely, folding his arms tightly across his chest. "What, is your goal to make her hate you as much as possible? Or is it something else?"

"Whatever could you mean, Drew honey?" Harley batted his eyes at him lightly, and Drew snorted.

"You've had a thing for May since the day you met her," Drew accused, squaring off with Harley as best he could with his limited height. "I'm not an idiot, Harley. I'm completely aware of it. What makes you think this will change anything?"

"If you want to keep ranting at me, that's fine, hon" Harley said carelessly, examining his nails a little. "I mean, really, no skin off my teeth. But girlfriend's probably crying, and that's kinda your fault. Let's be real here, sunshine, I didn't actually lie to her. I told her what you didn't have the guts to."

"I have good reasons" Drew told him forcefully, but Harley tutted, wagging a finger at him.

"You didn't want to mess with her head before a contest? I'm gonna call b to the shit, lil guy" Harley sang, snorting a little. "You didn't want girlfriend to say no. The great Drew Hayden, scared of a little rejection. It'd be sweet if it didn't make me want to vom."

"You don't know a thing about me," Drew shot back, scowling.

"When are you going to _learn_ , Drew." Harley didn't often refer to him by his name in such a straightforward way, so it caught him off. "I know everything. I see right through you. And I totally, totally agree, that yes, you are right," Harley paused, giving a short laugh. "She is way, way too good for you. And now best friend Harley is here to save the day, and remind her of that too."

* * *

She wasn't sure where Drew was, but May was glad he wasn't near the arena when it was time for her appeal. She was following Dawn, who pulled off an incredible appeal with her Togekiss, shattering Aura Spheres with a sky attack and performing clever tricks in the air. A lot of people had come up to her and asked her if she was okay, clearly dying to hear the gossip and whether or not the it couple of coordinating had really broken up, and May shook them all off with a well perfected glare. She couldn't stomach the thought of it right now, and she had an appeal that she and Blaziken had worked on tirelessly for months that deserved her full attention.

"Blaziken," May called, confident as she tossed the Pokeball up into the air. "Take the stage!" She'd attached some ball seals to the Pokeball, leaving little sparks of red flames to fly from Blaziken as he emerged, giving him something to push away from him as he landed, gleaming in the hot sun. He was a beautiful Pokémon, May had always thought, with the way his red fur gleamed in the light and his thick, powerful legs stood him taller and taller every time she looked at him. Blaziken always felt reassuring and safe, and May knew there wouldn't be any problems in the appeal if she didn't let it happen.

Blaziken jumped on her command, twisting in the air and showing off the incredible heights he could get to with a push. He stared down at her from the sky as she ordered an overheat. It would be so easy for this to go wrong, for her to be burnt to a crisp, but she had faith in Blaziken's aim and his speed. Everything was relying on his speed. Cameras were focused on her from every angle, and she knew her father would be watching her face, waiting for that trace of fear. She wouldn't give it to him. The overheat began to fly down towards her, and the audience inhaled collectively, watching in terror as Blaziken flew down after it, charging up a Blaze Kick that collided with the falling orb of fire smoothly, breaking it into a furiously hot ring of fire and giving himself time to land smoothly next to May as she waved to the audience to remind them she was safe, the ring burning around them as they stood side by side. May looked to her partner proudly, and Blaziken looked back smugly. They'd come a long way from a little Torchic and a ten year old.

* * *

May was already completely over the amount of people that had tried to talk to her about the fight. Solidad had been the first to attempt it, and the first to be completely ignored and walked away from. Dawn had tried a few times, and May had been a little kinder in shutting her down than she had the others. When Caroline tried, May had given her the most exasperated sigh she could muster and begged her not to bother, not sure whether she was supposed to be angry at her mother as well. She supposed it was nice that Drew felt like he could go to her mother, and in other ways it was good that Caroline could keep her word to him. But it was painful to think that they'd worked together to hide this from her. It didn't help that the thought of him leaving was now a daunting reality, swimming in her vision every time she blinked. She wasn't allowed to be upset about that, though. It wouldn't be fair. But she was allowed to be hurt about secrets, so she allowed herself to self-righteously own that as best she could. When Harley tried to talk to her about it, she could have gouged his eyes. There was this unmistakable fury towards him, too. He always knew the best moment to stir conflict through people, when he wanted them off their game. May wouldn't give him the satisfaction of dropping in quality.

She was stood with Marina, who was tactical enough to know not to mention it, as they watched the doubles appeals together. Marina was the right person to be around for that moment. Her observations were dry and funny, and she honestly did not care about May's personal life, and was very good at working May up into the mood to best her. It was what she needed, and she flocked to Marina keenly, shifting about uncomfortably under her coat. It was big and bulky, but it had to be to cover up the costume underneath. It was appropriate for the appeal, but she felt a little silly in it outside of that. It was flashy and garish, and it would draw even more attention to her than before,

"Why is your hair like that?" Marina asked at some point, giving her a sidelong glance. May blinked, flushing.

"W-What?" Her hands flew to her head quickly, checking it. "Is it awful?" There was a tuft of the longer hair tied into a little pink ribbon on the top of her head, in a little, neat bow. "My mom did it. She wouldn't let me look in a mirror."

"At least she offers you some kindnesses" Marina snorted. "You look like you have a horn on the side of your head."

"Gee Marina," May deadpanned, sighing. "You know all the right things to say to a girl. Hey, I was wondering something. You've been spending a lot of time with Kenny, over there. What's going on there, ey?"

"Absolutely nothing" Marina almost laughed. "He's a good egg. A kindred spirit. We're both completely convinced we're going to die alone, so we drink together to forget. That's all."

"That's sad" May frowned, biting her lip. "What's happened with you?"

"Nothing new, Maple." Marina gave her a withering look. "I broke a heart I shouldn't have broken a few years back. I let top coordinator go to my head and I walked out on a guy who meant a lot to me. It happens, I guess."

"That sucks," May pouted, folding her arms. "You should talk to him!"

"I sent a message a few months back" Marina admitted awkwardly. "Got no response. I mean, it's cool, I get it. I'm a very different person now. I used to be… well, a lot like you. All happy and optimistic and fun and I had a ton of friends. But a title made me really bitter, like, achieving what I had always wanted… wasn't what I thought it would be. And it made me a less nice person, I guess." Marina frowned, shifting uncomfortably. "I just wanted to be an idol. To be famous, and perform. But… I guess it became about winning at some point."

"I'm sorry" May told her honestly, reaching forward to touch her shoulder, but Marina shrugged away. "Really, that's sad. And I'm sorry. And I'm really touched you opened up to me."

"People change, May" Marina reiterated, giving her a long look. "Often they aren't the people we think they are. Do you understand?" May paused, frowning. Marina seemed to be inferring something but May was never good at picking up those kind of signals. "People who… might be mean, or cold, or… bad at communicating. They aren't always like that down the line. They can change." Marina stopped, wondering if her words were getting anywhere. "Maybe… if people just remembered that, a lot less miscommunications would happen in the world."

"I guess," May blinked, clueless. "Sure." Marina sighed, turning back to the screen.

"When are you on?" She asked tiredly. May began to shimmy out of her coat, passing it to Marina carelessly. Her outfit, in Marina's eyes, was both ridiculous and brilliant all at once. She looked like a little girl's doll. It was a pink, crossed over crop top, full of frills and bows and all sorts of trimmings, and a matching sticking out pink crimped skirt and white biker shorts, protecting her modesty. Marina raised an eyebrow.

"Next," May clarified, exhaling nervously. "Hold my coat for me?"

"Mew, May" Marina whistled, taking the coat. "You look like every idol's dream. Who designed that?"

"My mother" May admitted sheepishly. "There are a few… hidden features, for the appeal. It's complicated. You'll see." A few coordinators around the room looked over at the outfit, and she could see Drew watching her curiously from the other side of the room, but she chose not to give him the validation of looking back. "Wish me luck!"

"With legs like that, you don't need it" Marina sniggered, and May scowled, slapping her arm gently as she ran past her towards the stage, hearing the beginnings of her introduction. With two pokeballs in hand, May felt a thrilling thump in her chest, nervous in a way she never had been before. It was hard not to feel like this would make or break her grand festival. No contest had seen an appeal like this before. Showcases, on the other hand, saw them quite a lot. Vivian was announcing her, the Princess of Hoenn, and the upbeat music she'd passed on to the famous commentator had begun to play. It was a familiar track she'd been practicing with for months, but the sound of it made her feel nauseated now. It was louder than she'd anticipated. It was suddenly embarrassing and she wondered why she had thought to do something so stupidly different. Why hadn't she just done a simple, normal double appeal that wouldn't put her on the spot like this? She tried to breathe, but ran forward in an attempt to look confident, throwing her pokeballs in the air.

"Beautifly, Altaria" she introduced, lifting an arm to the air. "Take the stage!" Her two flying Pokémon arrived in a flurry, spiralling around each other as they ascended, flexing their wings. May ordered a quick quiver dance and dragon dance, and the two Pokémon were dancing beautifully together in the sky, absorbing the music, and May relaxed as the audience began to cheer. It was alright. It was going well.

Back in the tent, Dawn was almost shrieking she was so excited.

"She's doing a showcase, she's doing a showcase, she's so doing a showcase!" She was bouncing up and down, thrilled as May performed, side stepping with her Pokémon and dancing as minimally as she could, letting her Pokémon take the audience's full attention.

"What's a showcase?" Solidad frowned, arching an eyebrow. Dawn was shaking her hands together, giggling.

"They're a kind of performance in Kalos, they're beautiful when they're done right!" Dawn explained, her voice lilting as she spoke. "May showed me a video of some a few months back, and I binge watched as many as I could find online. Most are done to music, but not all, and the trainer gets all dressed up and performs with their Pokémon! It's the cutest thing ever. I can't believe I didn't think of it!"

"So it's a Kalos thing," Drew paused, biting the inside of his cheek. "No surprise there." The music was reaching some kind of chorus, so May pulled back around and flicked two frisbees out of her skirt, which made it sag noticeably. "She… was hiding props in her skirt?"

"How did she do that?" Dawn awed, leaning closer to the screen. "That's genius!" May flicked the frisbees forward with her wrist, over the audience, and Beautifly sent them back with a powerful, beautiful silver wind, letting May catch them effortlessly, jumping and spinning in the air as she did. Drew blinked. It was hard not to remember her first appeal when she did that. She was twirling now, with Beautifly close to her face, smiling giddily at the bug Pokémon as she turned on straight, pointed legs. Altaria swept in close soon after, as Beautifly trilled and fluttered overhead, circling May loftily as she span with outreached arms, her head pulled back in silly laughter.

May moved into another stance, each of her Pokémon behind her and flying upwards, Altaria catching the air from the silver wind in flight and pulling it along behind her, the two Pokémon peeling off together and back down, making silvery symmetrical shapes in the air. Altaria sent off a dragon breath which Beautifly controlled with psychic, winding in spirals around May and the three Pokémon and ending in fireworks wherever May pointed them, sparks flying over the crowds and leaving them cheering in delight, the lights glowing in the sunny sky. The music slowed, and May reached up for her ear pointedly, leaving the section of the crowd that was dedicated to her to screech in anticipation.

At some point, neither Dawn nor Drew could tell you when, Caroline had wriggled her way between them, staring at the screen with open mouthed delight.

"Err, Caroline?" Drew blinked, a little taken back. "Are you allowed to be back here?"

"The amount of cuts I got, sewing up that ridiculous skirt with the frisbees inside of it" Caroline shot him a silencing look. "Yes, I think I'm allowed to be back here."

"I won't argue" Drew raised his hands up defensively, turning his attention back to the screen as Altaria mega evolved, and Beautifly shot silver wind after silver wind at her, giving the Pokémon a shining, ethereal glow. Altaria swept back, lifting Beautifly with her, creating a moment where Beautifly flew just under the sun, letting light shimmer from her wings and leave the audience in awe. Together, they shot off incredible attacks, Altaria's dragon breath colliding with Beautifly's solar beam, creating fantastic, glittery explosions across the sky. May watched, looking a little emotional for a moment, before her two Pokémon flew back to her side, spinning together for a moment before curtseying, just as the music came to a close. None of the judges knew how to comment, and the audience were screaming so loudly that Vivian's voice couldn't be heard over the speakers. May was visibly choked up, laughing and embracing her two Pokémon with the signs of tears in her eyes. She'd never heard of this kind of a reaction to an appeal before. They weren't as enthralling as a showcase could be. They weren't always as emotive, she figured.

When the judges could finally be heard, they marked her stupidly high, the kind of marks she'd never achieved before in an appeal, a perfect score. Altaria practically had to carry her from the stage she was so elated, laughing with abandon and crying furiously all at the same time. Caroline was the first person to see her off the stage, brimming with pride and bouncing on the balls of her feet, waiting for her very pink daughter to appear. May sprinted forward when she saw her, tackling her in a hug and squeaking as Caroline squeezed her chanting yes, yes, yes, over and over in her ear.  
"You were amazing!" She gasped, struggling to find words enough. "Really. Honestly, I'd wondered how it might come down when you first mentioned it, but oh May, oh May it looked incredible!"

"I'm so relieved" May gushed, still crying a little. "Arceus, just before I went on I was convinced they'd all hate it, that it was too much, or too flashy, or…"

"Too flashy for a contest, nah!" Dawn appeared over Caroline's shoulder, grinning. "Not when you have that kind of substance. A showcase appeal? You little sneak, how did I not think of it first!"

"Hell, if I pulled it off, with my history of falling over during simple appeals, I reckon you could handle one" May grinned, rubbing the back of her neck a little as Dawn tackled her in a second hug. "It worked?"

"Phenomenally well" Dawn assured her, beaming. "It was a real show stopper. I don't think anyone has ever done anything like it before!"

"Dawn's right," Solidad agreed, giving her a big smile. Drew hovered awkwardly next to her, not saying anything. "It was a clever way to show off the bond between you and your Pokémon, do something that would excite the audience and also give the best of Beautifly and Altaria, both individually and together. It ticks all the boxes, and it's something the judges have never seen before. I can't fault it, really. It was spectacular."

"That means so much, Solidad, thank you!" May beamed at her, for a moment, forgetting how upset she was with the girl. "Especially from you. Thank you."

"You used props again" Drew stated, suddenly, catching everyone off guard. May looked at him blankly, waiting for him to finish his thought. "I don't know why you do that."

"Gee, Drew" May sighed, folding her arms across her chest. "I dunno. Hopefully, there'll be someone in Unova who will be there to listen to you complain about it." She gave a dismissive sniff as she turned on her heel and began to storm away. Altaria followed straight after her, flying behind her with long, sweeping wings and soothing crows, but Beautifly hovered, watching Drew uncertainly with a tilted head.

"I suppose you're mad at me too?" Drew asked dryly. Beautifly looked him up and down, and looked where May had left for a moment, before landing on his head, cooing softly. "No? Well, that's reassuring." Caroline pulled a face, reluctant to speak. Drew reached up to pet Beautifly gently. "It's alright, go after her. She'll just feel worse if you don't." His words felt tired and a little bitter, but Beautifly must have agreed because she fluttered away quickly, following after May determinedly.

* * *

May watched the rest of the appeals from her dorm room, with the door locked tight so Dawn couldn't waltz in after her. Her Pokémon littered the room, draped over chairs or the bed alongside her, chattering quietly as they watched their competition. May sat with her back up against the headboard of her bed, Blaziken sat in a similar fashion next to her. She offered him some of the popcorn she'd already eaten most of, but he turned it down delicately, watching with a little amusement as she shrugged and continued to stuff large fistfuls of it into her mouth.

Solidad's appeal was beautiful, as ever. Ampharos and Slowbro created this almighty, terrifying thunderstorm that swept everyone away in its power and might, cutting the humid air with rain and lightning, delighting an overheated audience. Summer storms were always the prettiest. Drew's appeal was good (she guessed. maybe.), with Flygon sending down powerful Draco Meteors that he'd finally perfected, and Absol shooting razor winds at the falling debris to break them into pretty, sparkling fragments that caught the judges off guard. Marina showed off her Xatu and Smoochum's psychic attacks well, but May switched off the television before she finished, suddenly feeling overwhelmingly tired. She got up, changed into loose, comfortable clothes and took out her contest contacts, rolling her shoulders to click the bones a little. Blaziken gave her a wary, concerned look. It wasn't even half three yet, and she was already making moves to get to bed. For a moment, she just perched on the edge of the bed, staring at her wrist quietly and examining the silver bracelet around it, feeling a little tight in the chest. Carefully, she slipped it off and placed it on the bedside table, giving off a long sigh.

"Wake me up in an hour," May told Blaziken grumpily, hiding herself under the covers in a sulk. "So I can see the results, you know. I just need a power nap." Blaziken gave a short, reassuring huff of a breath, and May nestled in close to where the fire type sat, hiding her face in his fur a little. "Thanks." His clawed hand rested on top of her head for a moment, and May settled into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

 **The Grand Festival: The First Two Rounds**

* * *

It wasn't surprising to Dawn that everyone she knew had slipped past the appeals rounds without much hassle. When the battle layout was made public, it looked as though they were dispersed fairly evenly across the tables as well, meaning no early conflicts. There was a very strong chance that a lot of her six on six battles, should she reach the quarterfinals, would be against people she knew. But that was two battles away, and Dawn needed to focus on that before she could even contemplate the final three. The only match up she could see of any that were of a particular interest was Drew's - he'd drawn Brendan in the first round. It was almost too scripted; he would enjoy the chance to amend his forced loss in Sinnoh, she was sure.

May had promised her she'd meet her in the lobby to go get some milkshakes before the battle rounds started - May had been out training from early in the morning, and Dawn had been disappointed to find she wasn't in her adjacent dorm room as often as she'd anticipated. She supposed she understood though; since the confusing news about Drew had hit, and their weird, uncharacteristic fight, May had been much more withdrawn and much more focused on her training than before. Not once had they discussed what had happened, and honestly Dawn had to wonder if May had spoken to anyone about it, really. It wasn't like her to repress things like that. Leaning against the wall by the door, she let out a long huff of a breath. Dawn wasn't known for being patient.

"Pika piii!" Her thoughts disintegrated the moment a Pikachu appeared at her feet, chirping excitedly and grabbing the top of her boots, using them to haul himself up and clamber up her torso, perching at her shoulder and nuzzling her cheek affectionately. Dawn paled, jumping to attention and letting her hand fall onto the Pikachu's head.

"P-Pikachu?" Dawn gasped, lifting the small yellow Pokémon in front of her with wide, staring eyes. "Pikachu, it's you!" She snuggled the Pokémon closer, overwhelmingly excited. "Oh my gosh! But if you're here… where's?"

"Dawn!" The voice was so safe and familiar, and as Ash ran through the double doors in front of her she felt a rush of warmth flood through her. Seeing him was like coming home to Twinleaf Town, or eating Brock's cooking. It was like stepping into a bubble of home. He was taller, and Kalos had left stubble across his cheeks. "It's been too long!"

"Ash!" Dawn couldn't help but burst into a fit of laughter, running at him and flinging her arms around his shoulders like a lifeline. "Ash, it's so good to see you!"

"Ah man, you too Dawn!" Ash was grinning, happy to hug her with just as much enthusiasm. Pikachu was cheering gleefully, hopping from one head to another, thrilled with the reunion. "As soon as I got the call I knew I had to swing by, and I was on my way to Kanto from Kalos so it wasn't hard to come back via Hoenn, ya know?"

"How did you do in the Kalos league?" Dawn demanded immediately, as soon as she pulled back. Ash laughed sheepishly, rubbing under his nose with one finger.

"Oh, I got to the final this time!" Ash told her brightly. "Which is really great. I mean, it's not a win, but it's good!"

"Ash, that's phenomenal!" Dawn encouraged, her grin stretching from one side of her face to the other. "I'm so proud of you! Up top!" Dawn swayed away from him slightly, lifting a hand into the air victoriously.

"High touch" Ash snickered, lifting his hand to meet hers, and they clapped together lightly. Dawn was giggling again like she'd never left, and Ash was just as dopey and happy as ever.

"So, you said someone called you? Was it May, or Max?" Dawn asked lightly, smiling away brightly, and Ash paused, his hand finding the back of his neck quickly.

"No, it was a bit of a surprise actually" Ash admitted awkwardly. Dawn gave a little lilted hum, confused. "I wasn't expecting to hear from them."

"Really? Who was it?" Dawn pressed, suddenly feeling her heart hammer in her chest. "Anyone… I know?"

"Er, well" Ash frowned. He looked away for a moment, as though trying to pick out the most accurate words he could find, and Dawn felt her stomach drop. Suddenly, Pikachu sprung to life again, hopping forward and squealing delightedly as he skittered across the lobby floor towards the doorway leading to the dorm rooms. Ash turned to where Pikachu was running with a quiet "huh?", but soon beamed as May poked her head around the door, bursting into a wild laugh as she scooped up the electric Pokémon into her arms and squeezed him tightly, thrilled.

"Pikachu!" She greeted, petting her old friend behind the ears. "And Ash!" She ran forward, happy to fall into his hug just as Dawn had, almost jumping with him out of excitement. "You came! What an awesome surprise!"

"I had to come see you two duke it out, how could I miss it!" He grinned. "I was just telling Dawn how it made sense with the timing of coming back to Kanto anyway. And Drew called me and said I should come, and that you'd both appreciate it. I dunno what he meant by that, but it was good to hear from him!"

"Drew?" Dawn deflated a little.

"Wait, Drew called you?" May blinked, and then frowned deeply. "When?"

"A couple of nights ago. I think it was the night you guys had your opening ceremonies" Ash clarified obliviously. Dawn gave May a cautious look, but May didn't say anything, instead linking arms with Ash and smiling as he did the same with Dawn. "Now, when are your battles?"

"Not till this afternoon" Dawn told him brightly. "We were going to go get some milkshakes to take to the arena!"

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Ash nodded, beginning to stride forward. "Come on, let's go!"

* * *

Kenny watched Drew's battle with narrowed, focused eyes. Brendan's battle style reminded him a lot of his own, in a way. He relied a lot on classical coordinating skill, like Drew, and focused on aesthetic based performances that knew the rules of combinations well enough to occasionally bend them. But when you pitted that style against someone who knew the rules better than you, you were in for a rough ride, and no matter how badly Drew may have faired that season, nobody did classical coordinating like Drew Hayden. Absol let off a particularly powerful water pulse that knocked back Claydol just at the moment Marina turned up. She moved to stand beside him immediately, although neither spoke to the other while they watched the match, unable to think of a conversation worth breaking the other's concentration for. Houndoom gave a chillingly powerful flamethrower, and it looked like it might nearly be over.

"It was always going to end like this," Marina told him sagely, and Kenny nodded briskly.

"Drew doesn't have to be on top form to be better than most people" Kenny agreed, shoving a hand into his pockets. "He's tough. Tougher than I've seen since back in Sinnoh."

"His appeals were a little lacklustre, which is strange as they're usually his strongest point" Marina commented pointedly, folding her arms over her chest. "I dunno. I can't get a read of his battling right now. But whatever, right? No point reading too much into something until it's up against us..."

"Right" Kenny echoed, pulling his lips to one side in a grimace. "Guess not." Marina spared him a look out the side of her vision, and snorted out a laugh.

"You know, you've already lost if you've resigned yourself to losing" Marina told him firmly. Kenny gave her an odd glance. "Think a little better of yourself. You're not half bad, you know. Especially at battling. You walked through your first round."

"Yeah," Kenny grunted, displeased. "I'm a good battler, I guess." Marina tried to say something else, but Kenny had already turned on his heel and sauntered away, leaving her to look after him with a confused but sad smile.

* * *

When Dawn saw she and Kenny were matched up in the second round, she felt her heart sink. They hadn't really spoken much since the ferry ride to Hoenn, where she had painstakingly picked apart their relationship and made it clear to him nothing was ever going to come of it. It had been a sticky, awkward process, and it wasn't one she was looking forward to revisiting in their battle. She missed him, a lot, in the way you can only miss your childhood best friend. He'd known her for the vast majority of her life, and he'd been there for her since the very beginning. Not having his presence in her life had been jarring and uncomfortable, and honestly, after everything that had happened with Paul she was keen to have as many friends around her as possible.

She knew everyone would be watching their battle closely. It was no secret amongst her friends that Kenny was enamoured with her, and it was no secret to anyone that looked at Kenny for longer than five seconds, really. It was the way things were with them, and because of the intrusive, gossipy nature of the world, people tended to take a closer look at things that there was a romantic connotation to. It was unpleasant, but it was the way the world worked, and Dawn knew there was no point in fighting it. She just had to battle Kenny and keep it as emotionless as possible.

It was nothing more than a simple doubles battle. Quilava and Togekiss were both as tough as nails, and though she knew Breloom and Floatzel wouldn't be an easy match, she knew she had everything she needed to win.

Max was thrilled to have Ash to commentate the battles to. While the coordinators all congregated in the backstage rooms while they watched their competition, Max had felt incredibly left out, and after a while sitting with his mother felt a little infantile; especially as she didn't let him out of her sight with those crutches.. Ash was more than happy to get excitable about the contest with him, and the two of them narrated the battle to each other seamlessly, intermixed with catching up on each other's journeys and what they had been getting up to. Ash had been a little jealous to hear how much Max looked up to Drew now, but kind of understood. He hadn't been around, and Drew had clearly become much better friends with May in the past few years. (Even Caroline got a little exasperated at Ash's oblivious nature).

Floatzel had just shot a powerful hydro pump at Togekiss, knocking her back and out of focus for a second. Ash let out a groan, leaning forwards in his seat a little. Dawn didn't look too phased though, so he relaxed. "So you said Drew called you?" Max asked quizzically. He was a little confused by the fight he and May were having and no one seemed willing to explain it to him.

"Yeah," Ash nodded, cheerful. "It was just a few days ago; I think he tracked down where I was by getting in touch with Professor Oak. Anyway, he just said that since both May and Dawn were in the festival I might want to come and that Dawn could use the support. I didn't know what he meant but I'm always here for cheering on my friends, so I got the first flight over that I could!"

"Drew's such a sweetheart," Caroline commented fondly, leaning forward on her wrist. "Were you two ever close, when you travelled with May?"

"Well, we got on okay I guess" As blinked, frowning. "He spoke to May more than anyone else, and actually he was kinda mean to me a few times."

"He was a jealous, jealous weenie" Max commented happily, nestling into his seat. "In hindsight that is very obvious. That battle between your Taillow and Roselia? He was so showing off to get May's attention."

"Why would he do that?" Ash blinked. "He was kinda mean to her too back then. What did he want her attention for?"

"Oh Ash" Max sighed. "You have realised? Haven't you? That May and Drew are… a _thing_?"

"What thing? Rivals?" Ash tilted his head slightly. "I know. I remember talking to Drew about that in Kanto."

"No," Max looked at him blankly. "No. Like, a thing. They kiss and hold hands and stuff."

"Well that's not very hygienic" Ash said dismissively, frowning. Caroline burst out laughing, "What? It isn't? I thought girls really cared about hygiene."

Dawn's Togekiss sent out a particularly powerful aura sphere that mixed itself up in Quilava's smokescreen, flying towards Floatzel with a brilliant speed. Breloom knocked it back with a sky uppercut, but that only meant Quilava could power up a flame wheel and catch it, adding the powerful combination to his fiery attack, colliding with the Hoenn native grass type dangerously. Breloom was knocked out, and Kenny's points took a big hit. Ash let out a loud holler of a cheer, clapping noisily in his seat, and Pikachu cheered loudly next to him, perching on the railing in front of them. Kenny was beginning to panic - the clock was running low and Dawn had full control over the battle. Togekiss swept down and pummelled Floatzel with a powerful aura sphere before he could get his head straight and a few more points drained away.

"Floatzel, aqua jet on Quilava!" Kenny ordered quickly, and Floatzel burst into life, absorbed inside a blast of water and flinging himself towards the Johto starter. Dawn tensed.

"Togekiss, intercept with sky attack!" Dawn called, biting her lip hard. Togekiss flew in front of Quilava seamlessly and powered her way forward, colliding with the water type in a glowing red light. The collision was thundering and made a quake run through the arena, sound waves trembling with the monumental clash between them. Neither came over stronger, and as they pulled back and prepared for another attack, the timer ran out.

" _The winner is Dawn, from Twinleaf Town! She'll go on to the Quarter Finals!"_

Vivian's announcement made both of them sag, tension leaving their bodies. Kenny slumped, completely gutted, while Dawn breathed a heavy sigh of relief and recalled her Pokémon with bright, sunny praise. Ash was screaming in his seat, bouncing as he cheered for her, and Max watched him curiously.

* * *

 **The Grand Festival: The Quarter Finals**

* * *

The quarterfinals felt a little more daunting than usual. The addition of six on six battling meant each battle would be that much more intense and that much more draining on the Pokémon involved, meaning the finals would end up being a furious, desperate race to the finish line. May had selfishly hoped the festival would have weeded out more of her rivals during the earlier rounds, but having the talented friends she had, out of the seven other people in the quarterfinals that year, five of them had been integral to her growth as a coordinator. She'd had dinner with her mother and Max, and they'd met up with Dawn and Ash for ice cream afterwards, so when she'd collapsed into her bed that night it was with a painfully full stomach and a spinning head.

The match ups had just been announced. The next day, she would battle Marina. Drew and Harley were scheduled to battle as soon as her match was over. Solidad and Dawn had caught the two unknown battlers, the two none of them recognised. May wondered if there might be some dramatic upset, and they might both be knocked out by other people. It would make the festival less draining and less painful, she figured, if that could happen. Every Festival or Wallace Cup she'd been in she always ended up fighting a stupid amount of her rivals, and they were always the battles she lost. And it was worse this year, because now she was so upset with Drew, and by extension Solidad, and definitely, definitely Harley as well. The three of them were her foundation as a coordinator. They had been her milestones since the very beginning and the people who had given her experience and motivation to grow. But now she could barely think about any of them without her stomach knotting. Harley stirring trouble up to throw them all off their game, and Solidad keeping secrets from her, and Drew. She hissed between her teeth. Drew had lied to her by omission and it made her nauseous. She may have left for Kalos, but she had never, ever lied to him.

There was a loud knock at the door, and May pulled herself upright from her bed and dragged herself across to greet the intruder, clicking the light on as she went. It had gotten late really quickly, and she wondered if she had fallen asleep for a while after all. Yawning, she tugged the door open.

"May," Solidad greeted her kindly. "Cute pyjamas. Did I wake you?" May blushed, looking down at herself awkwardly. Slateport was blisteringly hot this time of year, so her sleep clothes were just little white shorts and a loose grey tank top. She was a little more exposed than she would have liked; but it was just Solidad so it wasn't like it was a real issue.

"Thanks" May mumbled awkwardly, looking away. "Uh, kinda. It's like three in the morning Sol, what are you doing awake? Shouldn't you be getting some sleep before your match tomorrow?"

"My match isn't until the day after tomorrow" Solidad shrugged. "It's you and Marina, and Drew and Harley tomorrow. Remember?"

"Uh, of course" May stepped back, a little irked that she didn't seem to mind depriving May of her sleep regardless. "Come on in, I guess."

"Thanks!" Solidad swept past her and made herself at home, making May's bed and sitting primly on the edge of it, smiling at the younger girl warmly. May closed the door slowly, rubbing her face with the back of her hand, trying to wake up. "Sleepy?"

"Hn" May sighed. "Can you see my glasses case anywhere?"

"Just here" Solidad chimed in helpfully, grabbing the little black case from her nightstand and snapping it open, taking out the spectacles and passing them to May. Thanking her quietly, May slipped them on, yawning. "So, I've been talking to Drew."

"You seem to do a lot of that" May replied groggily, crawling on the bed next to Solidad and hugging a pillow to her chest. "What? Is there some grand explanation for everything that makes him not talking to me suddenly acceptable? Because honestly Solidad I don't want to hear it, I'm just not in the mood."

"May, you're burying your head in the sand and it's kinda immature" Solidad told her briskly, reaching over and grabbing the girl's hand. "Drew adores you. On a completely gross, sickening level. Do you really think he'd keep something like that from you without a good reason?"

"Let me guess, he didn't want to distract me from the Festival, or something lame and cliché like that?" May rolled her eyes, tugging her hand away. "Nah, that's crap."

"Well, it's a little more complicated than that" Solidad reasoned, a little taken back by how grumpy she was. May shook her head, jutting her lower lip out a little.

"Why didn't you tell him to tell me?" May asked quietly. "He would have listened to you. He always listens to you and he never listens to me. I don't understand why."

"What do you mean?" Solidad frowned. "I did tell him, for the record, but then he explained why he didn't want to and I understood. And I think you would too if you heard him out."

"You're avoiding what I just asked, really, aren't you?" May sighed. "Why does he listen to you, and not to me? Why are you the person he confided in and not me?" She pressed her face into her pillow, grunting a little. "It sounds petty but it bothers me."

"That's reasonable" Solidad mumbled, unsure how to answer.

"Even now, instead of coming and finding me and actually trying to talk to me," May continued, her voice a little muffled by the pillow. "He was talking to you. And I have no problems with you guys being best friends or whatever, that's not what this is. But he supposedly loves me and is incapable of talking to me the way he can talk to you."

"I think it takes practice, with Drew" Solidad told her gently. "I don't think it's a reflection on you. I think he's getting much better at talking to you."

"I thought so too." May fell back onto the bed with a dull thud. "But then this happened. And I have to wonder if he's ever actually going to be capable of any kind of communication with me or if you're going to end up mediating this entire relationship, like you did in Sinnoh. And if you are, then…" Solidad realised her face was pressed in the pillow to absorb any tears that had begun to build up, because her voice took on that thick, choked sound it always did when she was crying. "Well, then what's the point? I don't want a middle man, I want him to talk to me."

"I understand," Solidad soothed, rubbing her fingers along May's back. "I think he does too. And I think when he sits down with you and explains his thought processes about Unova it might make a little more sense."

"Then why hasn't he?" May groaned. "Why was it you at my door and not him? Why didn't he say anything when I found out? Why didn't he come talk to me in the first place?"

"Because of something Harley picked up on that I don't think Drew had even admitted to himself, at that point" Solidad smiled wearily. "I think he's scared of your reaction, and I think he's nervous because you're this bubbly and extroverted person who makes friends so easily, and has this warm welcoming family that he's never had, and he's nervous that you'll think that someone else will fit in your life better than he does."

"Well, you know what" May sniffed. "If I'd had the chance to tell him he was wrong then maybe we wouldn't have this problem. I did everything I could. I gave him every opportunity to talk to me about what was in his head and he didn't. At some point, it stops being an endearing nervous trait and just becomes unfair."

"May…" Solidad couldn't argue with her. "I know. It's not fair, and you deserve the truth. But I'm not going to be the person who gives it to you. I just… I wanted to make sure we were okay. You know, with you fallen out with Harley and Drew, and the stress of the Festival… I just wanted you and me to be okay."

"I just…" May let out a huff of a breath, frustrated. "I just want to know why you all hid it from me. And I know there's probably some good reason why you didn't tell me but it hurt, Sol. And…" May went quiet, pursing her lips together. Solidad watched her a little longer, watching her face crumble. "I don't… want him to go." She sniffed a little, looking down, and Solidad sighed, reaching forward to brush the hair out of May's face. "It's selfish and hypocritical and unfair of me but I don't want him to go and it's easier to be angry with him than think about that."

"Sweetheart," Solidad cooed, biting her lip to stop herself from smiling. "I think tomorrow, you should tell him just that. And I think you'll feel much better about it all afterwards."

"You think?" May sniffed again, much louder. Solidad nodded, ruffling the girl's hair reassuringly.

"Go back to sleep, May" Solidad told her firmly. "I'll be rooting for you tomorrow!"

"Thank you," May nodded weakly, leaning into her friend for support. She let out a long, shaky breath. "You too."

* * *

" _The Quarter Finals match between Marina of Violet City and May of Petalburg City is about to begin! There's half an hour on the timer, six Pokémon each and unlimited substitutions!"_ Vivian's perky, excited introduction left May with knots in her stomach. Marina was looking confident, and that moment was the most unsure May had felt in the whole festival. Her conversation with Solidad the night before had left her out of sorts, and a little more honest with herself about what was really bothering her about Drew. It had made the whole situation run a little too deeply. Breathing slowly, she tried to focus. Floette and Bellossom were looking to her for instruction. Marina's Misdreavus and Xatu were glaring at them intimidatingly, and she needed to focus. Marina was never going to be an easy battle, and she needed to be focused for it. _"The timer starts now!"_

"Floette, fairy wind!" May called immediately, trying to take control of the battle. "And Bellossom, petal dance!" The petals were quickly powered up by the ethereal pink gust that Floette blasted forwards, filling the stage with a pretty pearly rose coloured glow. They'd started strong, and Misdreavus was caught in the petals, losing Marina a good few points early on. But Marina didn't seem phased, and an ominous wind from her Xatu quickly turned the attack back on her and cancelled out the aesthetic that May had created. It was going to be a long battle.

"She's good," Matthew commented quietly, glancing at his son out of the corner of his eye. Drew didn't reply. They were sitting in the audience, watching as Marina and May faced off. It was the first time they'd battled since Johto so it was bound to be intense. "Her Floette is a little under trained though."

"She spread her Pokémon too thin, I think she caught too many to have them all totally ready in time" Drew agreed quietly. "She'll be saving some Pokémon for the final two matches, I'm sure. To stop them getting too worn out." Matthew hummed an acknowledgement, and they sat quietly together again, watching as Misdreavus sent a scarily powerful shadow ball at Bellossom and caused some real damage. "That'll hurt."

"Hmm." Drew couldn't find the energy to talk too much. His mind was a little full. It was mixed up with concern for May's battle and concern for his own - his last run in with Harley had been unpleasant, both on the battlefield and off, so while he looked forward to the chance to put him in his place he was a little apprehensive it might end badly. He ground his teeth together. It had been a bad week. Matthew looked at him warily.

"You alright?" He asked lazily. Drew nodded shortly, not in the mood for chatter. "You've had a difficult couple of days. It's alright to be upset." May recalled Bellossom, who was knocked out, but also recalled Floette. Instead, she sent out Munchlax and Wartortle.

"I'm not upset" Drew seethed, almost hissing through his teeth. He paused, breathed, and tried again. "I'm not upset" he repeated, a little more gently. "Just… distracted." Munchlax's solar beam was wrapped up by the spiral of Wartortle's aqua tail and it looked stunning, the light from the sun based attack refracting in the water and filling the arena with rainbows. It knocked out Misdreavus, and Xatu was blinded by the lights.

"May will forgive you" Matthew told him carelessly, craning his neck back to get a better view of the battle. "Once you talk to her, that is. And if you relax, your battle will go smoothly. Harley, that's his name right? Harley has a particular battle style you should be able to manipulate. It's a little like May's in a way. Very emotive. He gets caught up in what he's doing, so if you let him get frustrated it should be easy to knock him back." The familiar Archy made an appearance, determined to knock out Munchlax, but Wartortle hit hard with a powerful hydro pump, mixed with a rapid spin, twirling beautifully through the air.

"I know" Drew nodded, letting out a long, tired breath. "I know. I should be okay." Marina wasn't done yet. Xatu let out an incredibly powerful psychic to distract May while she built up her defensive walls, layering reflects and light screens carefully. May looked worried.

"Then the only other thing I can think to mention," Matthew continued, flexing his fingers a little, "is that you have no reason to be feeling low about your mother.

"I'm aware" Drew replied curtly. Matthew laughed. Munchlax got knocked out by Archy, so May sent out Floette again, who immediately struck with a moonblast.

"You can try and pretend you have no emotions for as long as you want," he said with a shrug, leaning back in his chair. "You can try and pretend your fight with May isn't upsetting you, that you aren't disappointed in yourself for this season, that you aren't hurt by your mother's absence and that you aren't feeling guilty for her sickness. But really Andrew, all that repression isn't healthy. Repressing things like this is probably why you've struggled this season." All of the flow of the battle suddenly seemed to have turned against May and she was blinded by this defensive wall. Blaziken was being saved for another battle and she couldn't see a way around it, and every move Marina threw at her was aggressive and well thought out. May began bleeding points, and Drew sighed, disappointed.

"I don't need this advice." Drew's reply was stiff and uncomfortable. "Especially not hypocritical advice."

"Well, I suppose I deserved that" Matthew conceded, still smiling. "But you know, no matter how sullen you have me written off as in your mind, there were a few people I talked to about things, and the way things had ended up. It's why I decided not to return to coordinating. I had good advice from someone that maybe that wasn't what I was supposed to do."

"And who was that?" Drew turned to him quietly, a little surprised. May was still struggling. Marina was clearly unhappy and began to screech across at her, words that no one in the audience could understand, but May was listening intently and it was clearly bothering her, hardening her. With her teeth fastened over her lip, May called out another move.

"Your grandfather" Matthew clarified. "He told me that to leave you with them to return to a career just to prove that woman wrong about me would not only be pointless, but unfair to you. I'm not the only one who saw your potential while you were growing up. Your grandparents think a lot of you."

"They hate me" Drew snorted dismissively. Matthew shook his head, smiling...

"They resent you," he corrected. "Because you had the skills I so desperately wanted at your age. But they love you very much; or else why would they have funded so much of your travels?"

"Obligation?" Drew quipped gruffly, and Matthew rolled his eyes. "I guess not. I guess I… shouldn't jump to conclusions."

"No, but that's not the real problem here" his father continued pointedly. "Until you actually start acknowledging your emotions and breaking them down somehow, they're going to consume you. There's been a lot of stress in your life in the past few years. Becoming a Top Coordinator, May's absence, your mother's intrusion… It would be wise to talk to someone about it."

"Are you recommending yourself?" Drew glanced at his father, only half joking, and Matthew cracked a grin.

"If that's what you want, I'm around" Matthew shrugged. "But I think your girlfriend might get jealous." They turned back to the battle, ready to catch up on what they'd missed. There were only a few minutes left on the clock and May was holding a victory in the palm of her hands if she played it right. Wartortle was still standing strong, and was now fighting alongside Venusaur, whose powerful toxic attack had thrown Marina's Bayleef off balance. They were both getting pretty vicious in a way Drew only really saw in May's battling against Marina. It was a rivalry that confused him. They seemed to flip between getting on well outside of contests, even as Marina was sulky and guarded, and flying at each other's throats the moment they faced off. Terrifying, but you couldn't look away.

The timer buzzed, though they each had Pokémon left over, and the points were clear. May had won, although Marina had kept the battle close. There was an unmistakable cry of frustration as Marina kicked the ground, a little bitter, but she began to laugh as well, wild in her upset. May was watching her quietly, almost smiling as Marina turned to her and pointed at her across the stage, chortling noisily.

"Arceus dammit May from Petalburg." Marina shook her head, closing her eyes. "You better win this bloody festival. You're the only person I just can't seem to get around, and it's insane that you're not even a Top Coordinator. It's annoying, and frankly, embarrassing for me. Fix it."

* * *

As Drew and Harley faced off, May chewed her lip anxiously. There had been a break after her match to drop her Pokémon off with Nurse Joy and to grab some lunch, but May had hurried through the process anxiously so she could get herself a good spot backstage to watch the drama unfold. This had been a match she'd been worried about, no matter how upset she was with Drew. Something was horribly tense between them lately, and May didn't like it. It had just gotten worse and worse as years had gone by, and the past season had seen it come to some kind of peak. This battle would determine a lot for them, and it left her anxious. Dawn and Solidad sat either side of her, eyes narrowed and focused intently on the screen. They knew just how important this could be too, and not just in terms of their coordinating careers.

Drew called out his Masquerain and Butterfree first, and they fluttered up overhead impressively, twisting around each other prettily. Matthew must have brought Butterfree along with him. Solidad was saying something and Dawn was replying but May wasn't really listening to either of them. Harley called out his Weavile and Banette, and they stared down Drew fiercely. May began to chew the inside of her cheek. The announcement was made; Harley of Slateport City and Drew of La Rousse City. The Timer began to tick, and they each waited for a moment, waiting for the other to make the first move, watching to gauge the other's strategy.

"Weavile," Harley gave in first. "Ice beam!"  
"Butterfree, grab it and send it back with psychic" Drew countered quickly. "Masquerain, follow up with silver wind!"

The battle was instantly tense and heated, each move flying between them loaded with expectation and overconfidence. Both were filled with an overbearing air of pride and unwillingness to bow to the other. May's eyes flickered between the two onscreen anxiously. There was no end to this battle that would end peacefully. Butterfree got knocked out around the same time as Weavile. Drew called on Drifblim to keep up the air based attacks and Harley called out Ariados, hoping that poisoning his Pokémon would cripple his points.

"This is almost too much" Dawn mumbled, equally entranced. "There's a rivalry… and then there's just not liking each other and wanting to see the other fail."

"It's… complicated" Solidad offered meekly. "They've had an odd relationship those two."

"It's my fault" May murmured, a little embarrassed. Her hands got tight in her lap. "Harley tried to pull some tricks on me, a long time ago. Drew didn't like it, and made a bit of a statement back in Johto. I don't know the full story of what's gone down between them since but I know it really bothered Drew at the start of the season."

"Really?" Dawn frowned, folding her arms. "I didn't think Drew was the kind to get weighed down in what someone else thinks."

"He's not, really" Solidad shrugged. "But he is if it's about May."

"What?" May jumped in her seat. "I… I don't know what Harley said, but I doubt it was about me."

"It probably wasn't" Solidad agreed. "But… oh, you'll figure it out one day."

"Huh…?" May blinked, unsure, and glanced between the two girls for a moment before looking back to the screen. Their Pokémon were lasting quite well, but they were both pressing down on the other's points aggressively, neither battling particularly powerful but with wit and flare. They didn't care about knocking the others Pokémon out, really. It was about dismantling their ability as a coordinator, and somehow that made it worse.

"I can barely watch" Solidad finally sighed, standing up and beginning to pace. "I love them both so much. This is just so awful." Eventually she peeled away. "I'm going to get some drinks, I just… need to move around a little. You guys want anything?"

"No, I'm good" Dawn told her sadly, giving her a smile. May wrinkled her nose, and Solidad understood, flying out of the room so quickly that her hair fanned behind her. Sighing, May leant onto Dawn's shoulder, frustrated. "It's sad."

"Yeah." May shrunk away. "A lot of things are sad." Dawn kissed the top of May's head in a quiet show of support, looping her arm around the brunette solidly. "I'm sorry. I'm supposed to be looking after you after Paul was so awful."

"I'm alright May," Dawn assured her, giving her a toothy smile. "I know where I stand and that's fine. Don't worry about that." May gave her a deeply concerned, long look, and Dawn shrugged her off, shaking her head from side to side slowly. "It's fine." She turned back to the screen and gave out a long huff of a breath. "Half way through the battle."

Drew had Flygon and Drifblim out, keeping high up in the air, but Harley's Cacturne was out and fighting touch, covering for Octillery as it shot off powerful, inky attacks. One caught the edge of Drifblim, making him spin out of control and crash out in front of Drew. He glanced at the clock, recalled the Pokémon, and sent out Absol. He'd thought about Houndoom, to get rid of Cacturne, but he didn't want to risk it with a powerful water type on the field. Instead, he shot off a razor wind, boosting it up with Drifblim's ominous wind.

Solidad returned at some point, looking a little faint, but better for having gotten some water and presumably some air. One look at the two girls leaning against each other heavily made her sigh, and she dropped herself back down next to May with a loud grunt. Absol knocked out Octillery, and Wigglytuff bounced forwards, ready for action. The back and forth continued. Suddenly attacks were getting stronger, and less refined. The contest was slowly being lost to a display of strength and guts, and Solidad's skin began to crawl.

"This isn't like them," she sighed, bringing up her legs and hugging them to her chest. May hummed in agreement. "Have you thought about the fact whoever wins here, you'll face in the semi-finals?"

"Yeah, I have" May twitched. "I've thought about it a lot. But I think… if I had gone through this festival without fighting at least one of them it wouldn't have been right."

"They were your first two rivals, right?" Dawn pursed her lips, and May nodded.

"I don't know where down the line they began to face off against each other more than against me." May pouted a little. "I wonder if I should be offended." Solidad laughed, almost relieved.

"When every life meets another life, something is born" Dawn recited monotonously. "No matter if they met through their rivalry with you… Two powerful trainers with a lot of clashing personality traits were bound to react to one another."

"You mean, two powerful coordinators" May gave her a short, questioning look, and Dawn silenced, nodding, but frowning.

There were five minutes left on the clock. Drew recalled both Absol and sent out Houndoom, the final Pokémon he was allowed. He'd opted not to use Roserade, which surprised May a little. He tended to lean on her when he was anxious. But Houndoom let out a great howl on her entry, immediately beginning to power up, and all three of them realised what was happening before Harley had a moment to check.

"Houndoom," Drew's voice was hoarse from all the commands he'd called on so far that battle. It was a much longer battle than he was used to and he'd gotten carried away. "It's time. Let's give Harley something to write home about, hn?" Houndoom was grounding her paws firmly into the floor, smoke snorting out from her nostrils. "Mega evolve!" Drew reached for the breast of his t-shirt, grabbing the little pin that May had given him the year before. Houndoom shivered with bright light, and the audience squealed in euphoric excitement, always overwhelmed by the sight of mega evolution in contests. Mega Houndoom stood proudly, the skeletal cage around her chest gleaming in the floodlights, her tail swishing proudly.

"No fair!" Harley called out, hissing. "Wigglytuff, show that overpowered puppy what for! Double slap!"

"Flygon, dragon breath!" Drew countered smoothly. "Houndoom, push it along with your dark pulse!"

By the time there was only a minute left to spare, Drew had torn the remainder of Harley's points to ribbons. The announcement came before it could hit zero, and for the first time for as long as he could remember, Harley took the defeat calmly and reflectively. He recalled his Pokémon silently, nodded to the judges and began to sweep his way out of the contest hall and into the corridor that would lead him backstage where the girls sat waiting. Solidad held her breath.

"This could get ugly," she warned May apprehensively. May nodded, understanding. Drew left the stage not long after, smug and smirking, and she could have placed him at being ten years old all over again, with that cocky grin and arrogant arched brow. A knot twisted in her stomach.

Harley got back before Drew did, and he waited patiently for him to arrive from the other corridor. When Drew entered, he didn't spare May, Dawn or Solidad a second glance, looking straight at Harley without a trace of empathy. Harley walked towards him calmly, too calmly, and squared up to the younger man loosely.

"Are you satisfied?" Harley asked softly, brushing a little hair from Drew's face. "Is that how you wanted to win?"

"I don't know what you mean" Drew replied loftily. "I think the result speaks for itself really."

"I would have won, if it wasn't for your little party trick" Harley told him bluntly, without a trace of flamboyance, airs or graces. "Just like I called, back in Fortree. You haven't improved a bit, you're just relying on an unfair advantage you got because you have a garish taste in jewellery. This means nothing."

"I really don't understand why you think for one second I want to waste anymore of my breath talking to you." Drew was clearly irritated, but not for the reasons he normally was by Harley's presence. "It doesn't matter. Mega Evolution is an option that I have, and I used it because it's a grand festival and that's where you present your best. I'm sorry if your best wasn't good enough to beat me, Harley. But honestly, it's not my problem."

"You just can't face it, can you" Harley whispered, almost laughing. "You can't face that you'll never, ever be good enough."

"Harley, that's enough." Solidad was at his shoulder and pulling him back before he had the chance to say another word. "You've made your point clear, and you've caused enough trouble."

"But Solidad, hon!" Harley was giggling suddenly, bright and effervescent. "For once, I've not caused any trouble! Drew here let it all happen of his own accord!"

"You lied to her" Drew cut through, emotionless and cool. "You thought it would throw her off; throw me off. But who are the people in the semi-final, Harley? Not you? Shame."

"Her has a name," May snapped, looking up at Drew sharply. He recoiled, a little surprised. "This is stupid. The pair of you fighting like this is completely dumb, and pointless. Both of you need to grow up, because I don't want to be around either of you when you're like this."

"May, hon" Harley turned to her with a flourish, his hand cocked to the side. "All I've done is tell you what boyfriend didn't have the guts to say. Right Drew?"

"Don't you dare," Drew challenged, stepping forward a little closer. May stood up, Dawn clinging to her wrist, getting ready to intervene or pull them apart in some way because it was getting dangerously heated and it wasn't out of the realm of possibilities that one of them would throw a punch. But before she could move any further forward, Solidad shot her a warning look and shook her head slowly, sharply and deliberately. May let out a long, frustrated breath.

"Don't dare what?" Harley batted his eyes innocently. "Don't I dare remind everyone how completely unworthy you are for her?" May inhaled so quickly it felt like the air had sliced through her throat. "It's not right."

"Oh wow, Harley" Drew mocked, his jaw tightening a little. "Why don't you just go right ahead and tell everyone how you really feel. Do you want to propose now, or are you the kind to ask her dad first?"

"I…" May looked between them both nervously, but neither looked at her, too busy staring each other down. "I'm really not feeling this conversation guys. In fact, I'm not enjoying any of this. Maybe we all just need… to calm down, and… walk it off."

"May's right," Solidad chimed, stepping between the two men pointedly. "You've both made your positions clear. Harley," Solidad looked at him in a tight focus that made his chin shake. "You should not have told May about Unova, and you should not have meddled in their relationship. Drew," she twisted her neck towards him, looking down on him a little. "You shouldn't be blaming Harley for a problem you've had for quite some time now." Drew froze up a little, his jaw jutting forward as she chewed him out. "Both of you are at fault here. Both of you need to cool off. And both of you need to apologise to May."

"But," Harley was about to protest when Solidad gave him another firm, pointed glare.

"No more." She told him firmly. "Now, May." She twisted on her heel and faced the girl, who looked a little startled. "You do have a few valid reasons to be upset here, I'll grant you that. But for the love of Arceus," Solidad rolled her eyes. "Stop overreacting."

"Overreacting..?!" May's face flushed as she ground her teeth together. "Last night you seemed perfectly understanding..!"

"Yes, because last night, you were honest with me." Her eyebrow arched. "What are you really upset about?"

"This isn't your issue to solve, Solidad" May shot back, stamping her foot a little. "I'm tired of all of this, This whole festival was supposed to be different, it wasn't supposed to be like this."

"May," Dawn held her hand, trying to calm her down. "You don't need to cry."

"I can cry if I want to!" May shouted back, frustrated. "Because I've just found out the reason for all this stupid fighting has literally just been a pissing war over me, because Solidad has ignored everything we talked about last night and because I am completely terrified that one of you is going to beat me and the last two years of progress that I have made have been for nothing, so yes" May ranted, beginning to pull at her hair. "I am going to cry. This was supposed to be simple. Everyone was supposed to get along, and then when people lost they were supposed to handle it, and I was supposed to not have any problems and this damn festival was supposed to be easy! But honestly, the lying," she flashed her eyes at Drew, "the manipulation," and in turn, Harley, "and waking me up at three in the morning to lecture me!" She looked weakly at Solidad, breathless. "I don't understand why you all had to pick now. I don't get why it had to be this time, this festival, this year." She gulped in a breath, shaking a little, but turned towards the door and began to leave. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go take a shower and try and forget all of your names for half an hour." Her last words were punctuated with the slam of the door behind her, and the four coordinators stared after her in a numb, blank shock.

* * *

 **The Grand Festival: Clarifications**

* * *

"Well sweetheart," Harley chirped, throwing himself in the seat opposite her with a flourish. "Boy did you give me a run for my money in the melodrama stakes."

"Why did you call me, Harley" May asked tiredly, propping up her head in her hands. Solidad and Dawn both had their quarter final matches today, and she didn't have long before she had to get to the arena. "And can we get the coffee to go? I want to be at the stadium soon."

"Don't worry sugar," Harley assured her meekly, smiling widely. "This won't take long, and you'll be glad you sat down to listen to me."

"Alright," May accepted, yawning. "What gives?"

"The whole… Unova, deal" Harley made an offhand gesture with his wrist. "I may have been a little brief."

"So you're going to break down and tell me all about it?" May sighed, lolling her head against the table. "Honestly Harley, whatever his reasoning for not telling me was, it's not good enough."

"It's not a matter of him not telling you yet," Harley twisted his lips together. "He wanted to ask you to go with him."

"What?" May looked up. She stared at him silently for a moment, waiting for elaboration. Harley cleared his throat, uncomfortable.

"He wanted to wait and see if you won the festival, and if you did, he was going to ask you to go to Unova with him. He picked out Unova specifically because he thought you'd like it. Something about ice cream was mentioned, I don't know, details get fuzzy when you're wrongfully eavesdropping" Harley shrugged, twisting a strand of his hair. "Chinese whispers and all that."

"But... only if I won?" May paused, confused. "What if I lost?"

"Then he wasn't going to go. He didn't want to ask you to put your career on hold for a holiday, basically" Harley snorted, sinking in his chair. "So if you lost, he was going to wait and then ask you when you won a grand festival. The point of him wanting to go had something to do with trusting you. It all sounded really lame, and if you wanted to break up with him I'd one hundred percent support you," Harley nodded at her genuinely. "He's a big loser. You've said so yourself many times."

"Harley," May chastised quietly, feeling something swell in her chest. "... Why did you tell me he was leaving like that? Why… and why did you tell me the truth now?"

"I told you that because I wanted you to be mad at him and I wanted him to be miserable for a bit" Harley replied honestly. "Girl, I've said it before, and it will not be the last time I say it, but you have a bad taste in men. He's never going to open up to you. You deserve someone that will communicate with you and tell you these things rather than presume what you want, and hide things from you in the way he did. Plus," he paused, considering. "He was an ass to me in Johto. We all know it." May let out a long sigh, not knowing how to respond. "And… I came clean now because you looked sad yesterday, and despite popular opinion I don't hate you entirely." He pouted, hiding in his seat a little. "Only a little." May watched him quietly for a moment, processing his intentions as best she could and trying to sift through them to reach some kind of conclusion. She couldn't.

"Okay," May finally decided, leaning forward in her seat. "I have to come clean, Harley. I can't bake."

"You can't bake?" He raised an eyebrow. "Like… not even brownies?"

"Not even a simple cupcake has been produced by these virgin baker hands" May continued earnestly, sighing dramatically. "I was hoping, at some point before everyone splits off at the end of the festival, that you could show me how to make those cookies you make? Teach me?" Her eyes flashed good naturedly. "I mean, you do make the best cookies. And it'd be nice to spend some time together."

"Hon, I can't teach you my cookie recipe" he told her stiffly, mortified. "I couldn't possibly! But…" he paused, considering. "I make a mean flapjack. I can teach you my flapjack recipe."

"I love flapjacks" May smiled, relaxing. "Why not tonight? I'm free if you are. I need an early night before the semi-finals, but early evening it might be nice to do something stress free, and baking sounds perfect."

"It's a deal, sweet cheeks" Harley grinned, standing up and offering her his arm. "Come on, hon. You look like you haven't slept in years, we need to get some coffee in you.

* * *

Solidad had blasted her way through her semi-finals, and Dawn was apprehensive. The rest of the grand festival had been lined up in front of her now. She needed to win this quarter final, and then after that she would battle Solidad, and if she won that, she would have to battle either May, or Drew. She knew which of the two she wanted to face, but she didn't think she would have an easy time battling either of them, especially with the fury the pair of them had been channelling into their battling. It had become aggressive and full of rage, and where most coordinators and battlers tended to be thrown off by their personal problems it seemed the pair of them were fuelled by them, pushing each other to prove some kind of point that no one else understood.

She was just fixing her hair in her compact mirror when Piplup began to squeak next to her, grabbing the belt loops on her shorts and gesturing towards the entrance of the back stage room. Her competitor hadn't arrived yet, so she had been alone until then. Presuming it was the man she was due to battle who'd come in, she turned quickly, ready to greet him and wish him luck in their upcoming match.

"Paul" she breathed. Her jaw went a little slack. He was stood there with his arms folded and a scowl that she'd become well acquainted with, watching her reaction analytically.

"... Dawn." He nodded stiffly. "You're probably going to win."

"What?" Dawn blinked, standing upright. His presence had thrown her. Suddenly everything was a little blurry and she felt dizzy very quickly.

"The coordinator you're about to battle, I watched a few of his early matches on television" Paul clarified. "You're much stronger. As for the others, I'm confident you're a stronger battler than them."

"T-Thanks." She closed her eyes for a moment, frowning and shaking her head. "But, why, um, why are you here?"

"You should be preparing for your battle" he grunted, looking away disinterestedly. "I'm going to the stands."

"Okay," Dawn sighed, frustrated. "Bye, then." He walked out without another word, and she felt her fist clench and unclench without her really thinking to do it. Suddenly, she had a much better idea of how May and Drew were channelling their upset.

* * *

May couldn't sleep. Again. She had watched both Solidad and Dawn wipe the floor with their opponents, both looking on top form and ruthless in their battling. Her evening with Harley had been pleasant, and the tupperware box of flapjacks in the corner were the spoils of an evening well spent. It had been lovely, just talking about things that had nothing to do with contests or people they knew. There was a slasher film coming out soon that none of May's other friends had been game to go and see, but Harley had been keen to discuss the trailer with her in depth and they had set a date in a few weeks' time to go watch it together, right there in Slateport. It wasn't far from Petalburg, and Harley was going to stay in Slateport a little while before heading off to another region. He was going to Sinnoh, as was Solidad. May wondered vaguely if that's where she wanted to compete, too. But then she had Unova to think about, and what Harley had told her. It was hard to envision it as real without talking to him. It was the longest she'd ever been upset with him. Somewhere in her head, she started wondering if it was time to shun her pride and go find him, but the thought made her a little sad. Part of the problem was that he wasn't coming to her, really.

Giving in, she pulled herself upright and made the bed. While Slateport was hot, she didn't want to wander around the dorm rooms in just her little shorts at the dead of night, so she pulled on a pale grey sweatshirt over her tank top and some long socks to try and cover up some of her skin. They were fluffy and stripy. Rubbing her hands across them felt soothing. Grabbing her glasses from her nightstand, she began to make her way to the door, sliding them onto her face. The door handle twisted easily in her grasp, and when she pulled the door open, she nearly screamed.

"Drew?!" She tried desperately to keep it at a whisper. "What the hell are you doing?" He was stood, shell-shocked, right in front of the door like he'd been dithering over whether or not to knock. "How long have you been stood there?"

"Where are you going?" He asked bravely, folding his arms, and she sighed, exasperated.

"I was going to find you" May replied sulkily, leaning against the door frame. He relaxed, and looked down.

"I… I got here a few minutes ago" Drew admitted, a little awkwardly. "I couldn't sleep."

"Me neither" May breathed. "Come in, it's stupid to be stood in the hallway."

"Alright" Drew agreed, stepping around her and flicking the light switch on. The synthetic light stung May's eyes for a moment, but she let herself adjust and closed the door behind him. Drew sat on the edge of the bed, quiet for a moment. "I should have told you."

"Yes" May confirmed, folding her arms.

"That was wrong," he conceded, apprehensive. "But hear me out."

"Harley filled in some gaps" May told him bluntly, shrugging. "You wanted to wait to see if I'd win before you asked me to come with you."

"Yes," Drew sighed, shutting his eyes, relieved. "Yes, that's exactly it. And, I wasn't going to go unless that happened. I was never going to mention it. It would have all been fine."

"Except the part where you didn't talk to me," May mumbled, looking down. "The bit where you confided in Solidad and in my mother, but not in me." Drew watched her silently, waiting for some kind of indication of what he should do next. "That kinda sucked."

"I get that." Drew was leaning his elbows against his knees, rubbing his hands over his face. "I really get that. But, it was with the end goal of…"

"Drew, all year," May interrupted, exasperated. "I have been trying to get you to open up to me and I really thought it was working. It took like, a lot of coaxing but you were doing it, you were admitting problems and we were talking about them and I thought we were getting somewhere, but you just…" she shuffled from foot to foot. "I don't care what your motivation was, I care where you see us ending up."

"What do you mean?" He visibly tensed, his face going blank. "What do you mean where we end up?"

"I don't think you get it," May breathed out through her nose. "I'm serious about this. About us. And I see us being together for a very, very long time. But that doesn't happen when you don't talk to me. When you keep secrets like this, these big plans that you're making that involve me and that I don't know about, this stops being a relationship. I need to know that these are decisions that we make together, that we're partners, and that we're discussing things. I need an input." She looked up at the ceiling for a moment, upset. "You're in a relationship with me, not with Solidad. Talk to her about whatever you want, but I need to be the person you bounce ideas like us going to Unova off. Otherwise this isn't working." Drew didn't say anything, instead opting to watch her like she'd just kicked him in the gut. "I need to know we're partners" she repeated, a little weakly. "I need to know that."

"May," he said, slowly, deliberately, standing and moving towards her to try and touch her. Reaching forwards to grab hold of her hands, he tried to convey some kind of message that he couldn't quite verbalise in that moment.

"No," she whined. "No. You don't get to hold my hands and, and look at me like that." Pulling her hands back, she pressed them to her face. "It's cheating."

"I knew how much this season meant to you" he told her, weakly. "It's not an excuse, but… I just wanted to make sure you got everything you wanted."

"I know," May's breaths were getting choked up. "I know that, now. I knew that when I found out, I guess. I just…" she swallowed thickly. "I want this to last, and it won't if you don't talk to me about big decisions like that. And it makes me think you don't take me completely seriously if you don't."

"I don't think we need to question whether or not I take this seriously," Drew told her pointedly. "I think I've been very clear on that."

"I don't want you to tell me" she gave in, falling forwards and hiding her face in his shoulder. "I need you to show me."

"I know better now," Drew tried to say, but it came out a little wheezy. "I can do better. We'll talk about things. I'll tell you anything you want to know. I won't keep any secrets."

"Thank you," she replied softly, leaning her weight against him. "I appreciate that."

"I want to take you to Unova" he said abruptly, almost disjointedly. "I want us to go, and to not enter contests, and to just not be rivals for a season and be constantly taking into account each other's coordinating careers. I wanted to go with you from the start. I know you have family ties there and that's important to you and you've never been over there, and I know there's big cities and historical landmarks that you'd like exploring." She pulled back from him, smiling gently at the sentiment of his thought processes, and rested her forehead against his, not feeling quite ready to talk. "My mom is in rehab."

"What?" May jumped backwards sharply. "When did you find out?"

"Just before the opening ceremonies" he clarified, exhaling heavily. "Dad told me. And I didn't want to say because Dawn was sad and you were dealing with that, so I left it." He sat back down on the bed, his knees feeling weak. May sat next to him, and taking her bracelet from the bedside table and slipping it over her wrist she wrapped her hands around his.

And Drew talked.

He talked about his Grandparents and how apparently his grandfather had been a quiet supporter, albeit somewhat resentfully, for a very long time. He talked about his mother and how strange it felt to finally have a personality to put to all of the stories he'd heard his grandparents whisper, but then still have her as such a strange enigma in his mind, like she both existed and didn't exist because while she may have been his mother it was hard to reconcile that with an idea of what a mother was supposed to be, and that was hard. He talked about his father and how awful he felt for distancing him for all of those years, and how maybe if he'd just talked to him more they might have understood each other better. He talked about the crippling guilt of sending his mother into a relapse, and how terrified he was that it was all his fault that she was the way she was. He talked about his conversation with Harley in Fortree, and how much it bothered him that the one season he really felt like he had something to prove he hadn't been able to, and maybe he'd been right and he just wasn't the same coordinator he used to be, and how maybe he really hadn't been good enough for her all this time because honestly he'd focused so much of his life on being the best coordinator to best his mother, without that he wasn't really all that sure there was anything else. He talked about Solidad and how emotional she'd gotten over them spending Christmas together, with her family, and then started talking about her family more in depth and how surprising it had been to have been so worried about Max when he'd broken his leg, and how much he'd admired her father's advice and how sad it made him when he finally realised how much of both a positive and a negative push Norman had been for her, and how completely wonderful her mother had been to him and how he had felt completely undeserving of all of it. He talked about how difficult he'd found their rivalry, over the years, from coming to terms with her becoming his equal in Kanto to the fears of where it would put their personal relationship, and vice versa, because he loved her and he loved her and he loved her and there was never a moment where he couldn't stress that enough. He talked about how sometimes he worried about that. He told her about things Harley had said. He admitted he was scared of her leaving again. He told her how much he'd loved her appeals, props be damned, and how much he wished he'd been able to tell her that.

By the time he found somewhere to finish, he was suddenly totally drained of all ability to speak, and May just sat quietly with him, watching his face for some kind of clue of how he wanted her to respond. He stared blankly at the floor, not moving.

"I love you," she told him softly, knitting their hands together. Drew looked at her, his eyes a little red from how tired he was. "And I'm not going away."

"Yeah" he blew upwards, which made a little of his hair fly forwards for a second. "I know."

"You know," she told him measuredly, leaning against his shoulder heavily, relaxing as he snaked an arm around her back. "You have nothing to feel guilty for. With your parents, your grandparents, or anything."

"I don't?" He was willing to believe her, maybe. He knew her so well, it would be easy to see if she was lying. But she wasn't, and she shook her head smiling. "Okay. That's good."

"Uh huh" May hummed, her head finding his shoulder. "You behaved in whatever way was logical at the time. Things have happened, and now there's all the time in the world to make the most of the family you have. Especially your Dad, he's a top guy." Drew snorted.

"You're just saying that because he likes you" he muttered grouchily, and May beamed.

"I know," she punched the air jokingly. "Another Hayden won over by my infallible charm." He laughed, but didn't reply, letting himself be wrapped up in her warmth a little. "Thank you for telling me all of that. I know it wasn't easy."

"I'm serious about this" he clarified quickly, shooting her a firm look. "I don't want you to ever doubt that again. I… I know what I want."

"What do you want?" May asked quietly, a little nervous. He turned to face her, hesitating for a moment, but then reached up to remove her glasses neatly, placing them on the bedside table.

"You." It was simple, to the point, and made her stomach flip. "And I'm so sorry if you ever thought for a second that I didn't." They were the last words May wanted to hear, finally exhausted of any lingering animosity, so she leant forward and kissed him harder than she'd ever kissed him before, twisting her arms around his shoulders and finally moulding herself back against him, where she was supposed to be. His hands were at her hips, slipping under her sweatshirt ever so slightly, and she smiled into his mouth, completely at ease. There were no boundaries left between them now, and no reason to delay anything any further.

They fell back against the bed, seamless and flush against one another. Everything else faded away.

* * *

 **The Grand Festival: The Semi Finals**

* * *

When May's phone alarm went off the next morning, she groaned unhappily. While she'd slept better, eventually, there hadn't been nearly enough of it and another long day was ahead of her. She wasn't immediately completely aware of herself, shifting uncomfortably as she sent out a stray arm to flail aimlessly until it landed on the phone, silencing the noise and nestling back into the sauna like warmth of the bed. There were arms around her, which was nice. They were warm against her skin.

May woke up very suddenly.

Tangled up in the bed with Drew, unclothed, was not how she imagined waking up the morning she had to battle him for her place in the Grand Festival finals. It jolted her for a moment, remembering their talking the night before, and the part of the night where very little talking had taken place at all. Drew hadn't been woken by the alarm, which was uncharacteristic, but was instead breathing slowly and deeply, his mouth slightly open and his face totally relaxed, his arm wrapped loosely around her, dead weight against her torso. Smiling to herself, she twisted her body around so she was facing him, watching him as he rested. After being so distant for the past few days, it was a real comfort to have him so close again. But her movements clearly disturbed him, and he grunted a little as he woke up, bringing a hand to his face as he orientated himself, breathing deeply.

"Sorry if I woke you," she apologised quietly, still smiling. "Good morning."

"Good morning," he replied hazily, his voice thick with sleep. "Sleep okay?"

"Better than the night before," she admitted, chancing a quirk of a grin, and he leant his head back against the pillow, smiling to himself as he nodded his agreement. "We should get up. Semi-finals."

"Oh yeah," he blinked, a little more awake. "We're battling each other today."

"It seems a bit bizarre, doesn't it?" May sighed, not in any way displeased. He shrugged, wrapping his arms back around her and pulling her against his chest.

"Sounds like a fun way to spend the morning," he mumbled against her shoulder, kissing her skin gently. "Go on, get up." She dragged herself away from him reluctantly, immediately flustered at exposing herself but was quick to grab her sweatshirt and shorts from the floor and pull them back on before he could make a joke or a comment at her expense. If he noticed her discomfort, he didn't say anything, pulling himself upright and grabbing his pants from the floor. It seemed so natural and unashamed, and it was strange. May realised she'd never seen him so guardless before. It warmed her.

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts, and Drew's face instantly dropped. It would be hard to hide the fact he'd been there all night, so whoever was at the door would immediately jump to the correct conclusion. They could only hope it was no one either of them were related to.

"May, open up!" The voice was a little muffled, but May had a good suspicion that it was Max. "Maaay, come on, wake up! Mom told me to make sure you actually got out of bed, you can't ignore me forever."

"Could be worse," May shrugged, biting her lip to stop from laughing, and Drew pulled a face.

"Maaaaaaaay!" Max continued, pounding against the door. "If you don't answer it soon I'm coming in."

"Hide… you know," May mumbled, blushing. "Any stray discarded clothing."

"On it" Drew shared her blush, scooping up any stray articles of clothing, trying not to focus too hard on what they were, pulling his shirt over his head. May rushed over to the door, opening it up very slightly, laughing a little too loudly.

"Good morning, my lovely, not in any way intrusive, sibling!" May beamed. "I am awake. I'm going to take a shower but I will meet you and Mom for breakfast later, okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Max blinked owlishly behind his glasses. "Why are you hiding behind the door?"

"Oh, my room is just… a little messy" May lied quickly. "I don't want you to see it."

"Well that's a lie" Max snorted. "We grew up together. I know how messy your room gets."

"Haha," May panicked. Max gave the door a firm shove, and Drew looked awkwardly back, giving a small wave, hiding the clothes bundled in his arms behind him quickly.

"Did you…?" Max looked between them slowly, immediately uncomfortable. "Aw man. That's so gross." A little apprehensively, May gave a long, fake grin.

"Do you want some flapjacks?"

* * *

Dawn and Solidad had both seemed nervous when May and Drew arrived at the stadium later that day, feeling more relaxed than they had for months. But they were quite content to not explain themselves, happily chatting to each other with linked hands, unabashed and quite content with the prospect of their upcoming battle. They waved away confused questions, not feeling it was the time to explain their making up. Instead, they just made their way through the process of preparing for their battles, exchanging occasional teasing remarks about who would win and maybe the loser would buy the winner coffee. Solidad looked more relieved than May had ever seen her, and Dawn just looked deeply confused, and when it was time for them to go find their seats before the battle started, was pleased but a little baffled to see them kiss in what they thought was a private moment before heading out onto the stage. There was no sign that conflict had ever existed, let alone that they were about to fight it out for a place in the Grand Festival Final. All tension between them had completely smoothed away, and while that was a good thing, it was a little odd to see such a drastic change take place so quickly.

When they made their way out onto the stage, greeting the audience with polite waves and shy smiles, they called out their Pokémon before the announcements were finished. May opened with Glaceon and Delcatty, and Drew knew them to be an experienced doubles team by now. He couldn't help but associate them with the catch up she had desperately pulled off in Johto. He called out his own, Drifblim and Flygon, to open the match, and May looked immediately pleased. She had the type advantage, but that didn't faze Drew too much. They could handle a little ice.

The battle was almost calm; each of them gave the other the chance to pull off a move to show off their Pokémon, but teasingly pulled out a counter at the last minute, testing each other and provoking them to bring out their stronger moves. May was scoring on little moves that most people didn't think to try, and Drew was pulling out his well-rehearsed combinations that were always crowd pleasers. Their Pokémon battled almost playfully, well acquainted with the other team after years on years of rivalry. When Delcatty was knocked out and Beautifly joined the field, Flygon took a moment to greet her, spiralling in the air together. It was silly and light-hearted, and it almost didn't feel like a conflict. It was a test that they were giving the other, to check in on where the other person had gotten to. There wasn't any aggression, but there was silent challenges that each of them could rise to, to remind the other person that there was a reason they had become rivals all those years ago. With every move Drew threw at May, she could almost hear him asking her: Are you ready? Are you really ready for your ribbon cup? With her heels dug into the stage floor and a poised state of mind she'd never had in a contest battle before, she replied in every deflection and attack that she mustered. Yes. Yes I am.

* * *

"So you see, Norman," Wallace finished casually, placing the tea cup down with a smile. "I have a lot of ambitions for your daughter."

"So I can see," Norman let out a long, tired breath. "That's a lot to absorb. But really, am I the person to be discussing this with?"

"This won't be for a number of years, yet" Wallace assured him, crossing his legs with a slight flourish. "I don't think Drake intends to leave his post for at least another five years. But that will give her time to establish herself, and it's something I would like to start putting in motion."

"She's never been interested in league battling," Norman warned, snorting with laughter. "Honestly, I'd be surprised if she went along with this. I'm pretty sure she'll want to stay in the contest circuit somehow."

"But she would be," Wallace frowned, giving a little confused smile. "That's part of the point, isn't it? That's why I'm scouting her as a coordinator. That's what, my friend, the Wallace Cup this year was all about. I'm not blind to the fact that if she had been under league rules instead of contest rules, she would have won that final battle."

"You think?" Norman paused, thinking. "I think I remember her saying something like that when she was training."

"She's very self-aware, then" Wallace pursed his lips, grinning. "Good. She'll need some time as a gymleader first, as we've just discussed, and she'll definitely need to win a Top Coordinator title, but everyone in the NCA has been talking about how this is her year."

"Really?" Norman sat back in his chair a little, letting out a long whistle. "My May. She sure has grown up."

"I'm surprised you're not at the festival" Wallace continued, standing slowly. "If I had a daughter about to win her first Grand Festival title, I'd be in the front row." Pointedly, Wallace took the television remote from the coffee table between them, flicking onto the channel broadcasting May and Drew's battle. Norman paused. He hadn't realised it was on so early. Azumarill and Beautifly were forward, but Drew's Houndoom and Roserade were pushing back. There was the old defensive wall that Drew had used against him, built out of petals, but May countered it by having Azumarill fly high into the sky using aqua tail, just as Norman had advised her years ago, sending a powerful hydro pump down at Houndoom and knocking her out before she could stack too many nasty plots and become a problem. Norman let out a long, shuddering breath.

"I'm really sorry to cut our meeting short, Wallace," Norman apologised gruffly. "I need to go see my kid prove me wrong about her." Wallace gave him a surprised, thoughtful look, but smiled, and stood.

"I'm on my way there myself."

* * *

"Is that all you've got?" Drew taunted, smirking as Roserade flung out a powerful solar beam, knocking Meowstic flying. "Honestly, Maple. Get serious. Or are you too busy being sentimental again?"

"You're such a dweeb, stop it!" May sulked, jutting her lower lip forward. She called out Venusaur, hopeful his brute strength might cut through some of Drew's flashy battling. "Let's go - Frenzy Plant, straight up!"

It continued. Pokémon continued to be whittled down, until finally, with only a few minutes on the clock, May found herself left with Venusaur and Blaziken, and Drew had Roserade and Absol. She could see him beginning to reach for his keystone and she paused, thinking hard. Blaziken was one of the only Pokémon she had who could take out Roserade. Venusaur was tough, but Roserade's grass knot that she'd learnt at Christmas could work badly against her. Every cathartic bone in her body desperately wanted to mega evolve Blaziken, to have them face off like they had in Johto, but this was not a one on one battle and this was not the way contests worked. It was a double battle, and she needed to balance that. Mega Venusaur would have just as much a chance against Mega Absol as Mega Blaziken would have. Quietly, she nodded to herself, confident she was making the right decision.

"Absol!" Drew called.

"Venusaur!" May echoed, digging her heels in the ground.

"Mega evolve!"

* * *

Slateport was only a half hour drive, really. Listening to the match commentary on the car radio wasn't as comprehensive an image for Norman to put together in his mind but it was the best he could do, and when he heard them begin to mega evolve their Pokémon he felt a swell of pride in his chest. The commentators kept talking about Venusaur's powerful Frenzy Plant, ripping the field to shreds, and Absol powering through against Venusaur's brute strength. Quietly, he wondered about Blaziken and Roserade next to them. He wondered if Drew was using the carnage of the field like he had during their battle at Christmas. He wondered if May had remembered that, and thought up a counter, destroying the field on purpose. So many little moments that he'd only know if he was watching there with them, observing the two battle it out. He gritted his teeth, and hit the accelerator harder. Wallace sat next to him in the passenger seat, smugly grinning. They came into a little traffic, and Norman let out a long, frustrated groan, banging the steering wheel with his fist.

"We were never going to get there in time to see the end of the battle," Wallace reminded him brightly, hiding a laugh. "There's no point getting frustrated."

"I should be there," Norman shook his head, huffing out a short breath through his nose. "This is what she was talking about when… ah." He leant back in his seat, closing his eyes for a second. "What kind of father misses their daughter's Grand Festival when it's a half an hour drive away?" Wallace was a little taken back, absorbing the admission. He hummed, mulling it over.

"I guess," Wallace ventured, arching an eyebrow. "The sort of father who bangs on a steering wheel trying to make up for it?" Norman shot him a look, not sure how to react. He hadn't expected to get parenting advice from the Hoenn Champion, and it sat quite badly with him at any rate. The traffic started moving down, and he slammed his foot down keenly.

"Roserade," Drew called, giving May a smug grin that made her twitch. "Grass knot on Venusaur!"

"Nice try, dweeb" May countered, almost laughing. "Blaziken, intercept! Use your Blaze Kick to defend Venusaur - and Venusaur, start charging up a solar beam for that Absol!"

"Absol," Drew thrust an arm forward, catching the dark type's attention quickly. "Get ready to use psycho cut, to shut that Solarbeam down! Roserade, dodge that blaze kick by sending a petal dance right down on the ground!"

"What..?" May paused, a little taken back. Roserade shot her petal dance straight down, just like he ordered, which flung the small grass type high in the air, twirling in the flurry of pink. Blaziken paused, annoyed. Absol had bounded even higher, and was prepping a strong, purple blade to slam into Venusaur.

"You're not the only one who can jump," Drew taunted, raising an eyebrow. "Now Roserade, get over that Blaziken and finish up that grass knot!"

"Blaziken, overheat, straight up!" May bit her lip, getting a little frustrated. "Venusaur, watch out for that Absol, fire as soon as you can!"

"Absol, fast" Drew ordered, scowling. "Roserade, try- no! Roserade!" The overheat hit it's mark, and the small grass type went flying, crisping in the air, just like in the fight with Slaking, and Drew began to grind his teeth. "Now! Petal dance!"

"No way!" May dug her heels in the ground. "She can't possibly..!"

"We've trained for exactly this." Drew let out a relieved breath as Roserade began to embrace the searing flames around her. "Now! Straight at Venusaur!"

"Ahh..." May paused, caught up in the attack for a moment. Roserade sent a shower of flaming petals straight down at her, ready to slice into Venusaur. She had to think fast, Absol was approaching with psycho cut and those petals weren't going away any time soon. She grunted, annoyed.

"If you can't get past this," Drew challenged, smirking. "You think you'll get the ribbon cup?"

"He's right" May muttered to herself, flailing. "This is it." It took her just a few seconds more to decide her plan. She had to weigh up the time left, the points remaining. Thirty seconds. She was in the lead, but just. If she played this move wrong, he'd overtake and win. "This is it, you guys, last push! Venusaur, re aim that solar beam and send it into those petals, towards Roserade and stop her!" Venusaur sent it off unquestioningly, disintegrating the petals in the beam of light. "Blaziken, brick break and intercept that psycho cut!" There was no way Blaziken could overpower that attack - it was too strong, super effective, and it was coming from a mega Pokémon while Blaziken was in his base form. But it would push it away from Venusaur, and the loss of points from the hit would be minimised, while Drew lost more for the failed petal attack, and Roserade getting knocked down by that powerful solar beam. May breathed, relieved. She may have lost a few points, but Drew's plummeted.

The timer rang.

" _The winner of the Semi Finals is May, of Petalburg! She'll go on to the finals tomorrow, and will face either Dawn or Solidad, who will be facing off here in the next hour!_ " Vivian seemed oblivious to the carnage on stage. Drew was cradling Roserade, who was not in good shape at all, and May was tending to Blaziken. The psycho cut had left its mark. Venusaur and Absol were both losing their mega status gradually, fading in a soft, pale light, and moving to stand by their trainers and their wounded partners. _"For now, we have a short break, so please re-join us then!"_

"Blaziken…" May looked down at the Pokémon in her lap, a little overemotional. "You were perfect. Thank you, taking that hit wasn't easy." She looked up, feeling Venusaur hovering behind her. "And _you_! Venusaur, that last solar beam… I'm speechless, you did it! You proved everyone who said you couldn't do contests anymore wrong, and I'm so proud of you for that!" Venusaur let out a long, deep grumble, rubbing her face up and down May's back, leaving her to laugh. "You were both great. Everyone was great. I can't thank you guys enough!" Carefully, she stood up, helping Blaziken stand along with her, and when she looked across she could see Drew petting Absol with one hand and the other arm holding Roserade up, tucked into his side and leaning against his shoulder heavily. He caught her watching and gave her a shrug, and a nod, which she knew meant he wasn't upset about his loss to her. She knew he wouldn't be. Not this time around.

* * *

As soon as they had reached the lobby, Caroline had whisked them both outside and into the family car, keen to drive them somewhere important. Max was in the front seat, grinning at them like he knew something they didn't, and May was a little sulky; she'd wanted to go find Dawn and Solidad and wish them both luck before their battle, and get set up to watch the battle with Ash, Harley and Kenny. But clearly she had little choice in the matter. Drew didn't seem to mind either way, quite relaxed. May had wondered if there would be any fallout from their battle at all; Drew wasn't known for taking losses well. Neither of them were. But there was a calm acceptance in his eyes that she recognised, and somewhere in herself she knew he'd anticipated losing to her this season. It was strange to think of how much he'd struggled with the concept of losing to her, years ago. Now, he embraced it, taking it in his stride and rubbing his thumb over her knuckles in the back of the car, almost proud. He'd grown a lot, and she guessed, so had she.

"Where are we going Mom?" May asked, again, letting her head loll against the back of her seat. "If I miss Dawn and Solidad's match I'll be so upset."

"We're meeting someone at a cafe," Caroline told her primly, a little shaky. She hadn't said much in the car, and the way Max was bouncing in his seat was disorientating. "There's… someone who wants to talk to you."

"Who wants to talk to me?" May blinked, confused. "Who is it?" The car twisted in the road, pulling in next to a small, popular lunch spot near the cove. May recognised Norman's car; they'd pulled up next to it. "That's Dad's car. It's Dad?"

"Yeah, but…" Max turned to her with a splitting grin. "Aw man, May, you won't believe it. You're going to freak!"

"One of these days, Max, you're going to learn to keep secrets" Caroline chastised. "Honestly."

"What's going on?" May leant forward, a little anxious. Drew looked a little puzzled as well, folding his arms across his chest. "Who wants to talk to me?"

"Before we go in," Caroline pursed her lips. "May, I want you to remember something." She turned around in the driver's seat, unbuckling her seatbelt and twisting herself to face her daughter, looking her dead in the eye with a straight, tight face. "You're about to be offered an opportunity. And it is up to you whether you take it. You might say yes, and you might say no." Her gaze hardened. "But you have to make that decision based on what you want, and not what you think your father would be proud of you for doing."

"Mom…" May inhaled sharply.

"What's the opportunity?" Drew shifted forwards, very alert. Caroline bit on her lip, a little nervous.

"You have to promise me that if you say yes it's because you want to do it" Caroline reiterated firmly, feeling her hands shake a little. "I don't know all the details, your father was brief on the phone. But… I need you to promise me that. And that you'll think about it for as long as you can before giving an answer."

"O-Okay, Mom" May nodded, looking at Drew apprehensively. He looked like she felt, all wound up and agitated. "I promise."

"Good," Caroline sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Oh Arceus. What a week. Come on, we don't want to keep the Hoenn Pokémon League Champion waiting."

"Wallace" Drew's eyes widened, and his mind immediately went to the Wallace Cup format change, and his suspicions. May could see the cogs in his brain turning, and he stared at May in a wide eyed apprehension as something dawned on him slowly. "Shit. The Wallace Cup. May…" His voice was full of warning, and she nodded. "You didn't want to talk about it. Did you suspect anything?"

"N-No!" May felt like she'd been hit in the chest with a mallet. "I would have told you! I was just scared that the format change would mess up all the training I'd done!"

"Yeah, that's what I thought" Drew nodded, shaking his head a little. "Arceus. Do you think...?"

"I don't know!" May's voice was getting a little shrill. "I don't even know what he's going to ask me, can we not jump to conclusions yet?!"

"May, we need to get going," Max reminded her stiffly, already out of his car door and propped up on his crutches. "Come on."

"Right," she undid her seatbelt and Drew did the same. "I… what's about to happen?" Caroline and Max were waiting for them at the front of the car, and Drew gave her a shaken, but firm look, nodding at her.

"We'll figure it out" he said smoothly, in a vague attempt at reassurance. "Whatever it is. Just…" he paused, frowning. "Don't let this throw you off for the finals. That's your focus right now, May. Whatever decision is about to be thrown at you, you can delay that until after the festival. This is something you can take your time with, whatever it is. So we'll figure it out."

"You're right," May breathed, beginning to open the car door. "You're right. I needed to hear that. Thanks."

* * *

"Where did May and Max end up?" Ash wondered, looking around distractedly. Pikachu chirped in his lap, equally confused. "It's not like May to miss a contest match."

"It's not like Drew either," Kenny agreed, frowning. They'd taken their seats in the stands, waiting for Dawn's battle to start up. "Maybe they're watching backstage?"

"Nah, May texted me after the match and said she'd catch up with us" Ash frowned, worried. "I hope they're alright."

"Ah, I doubt they've gotten into any trouble" Kenny snorted, shaking his head. "Dawn said earlier they'd made up and were being all coupley again. They're probably making out somewhere and Max will be trying to find them."

"Making out?" Ash blinked, bewildered. "But they just battled! I don't…"

"Ash," Kenny shook his head, slowly. "If you honestly can't see the low-key sexual tension between those two, I'm afraid to tell you you might never get a girlfriend."

"Low-key… sexual tension?" Ash's eyebrows shot up, nervously. "I don't think you should be talking about things like that."

"Oh, hon" Harley appeared between them, dropping into a seat behind them. "It's nice to see May's boy toys are as adorable as ever. So, anyone else put money on this? I'm Team Solidad, girl is on fire this competition."

"Team Dawn!" Kenny cheered in response, punching the air. "Deedee is going to take it home this year, I know it!"

"I really want Dawn to get to the final," Ash agreed, grinning keenly. "The thought of her and May facing off like that… aw man, I'm getting pumped up just thinking about it!"

"Well, I don't think Solidad will make it very easy for Sinnoh girl" Harley snorted, checking his nails a little. "Besides, Bluette seemed pretty distracted in the opening ceremonies. Beating Solidad takes total focus."

"Dawn was distracted?" Pikachu mimicked Ash's concern, scrambling up his arm to perch on his hat to have a better look in on the conversation. "What?"

"She was pretty sad, I think she'd been crying" Kenny filled in, his face contorting a little. "May seemed on top of looking after her, but then she and Drew fell out… None of us are really sure what's going on in her head."

"Huh" Ash paused, a little unsettled. Out on the stage, Dawn and Solidad were beginning to take their positions, and Vivian was just giving them their classic introduction, introducing Solidad as the Top Coordinator from Pewter and Dawn as a Wallace Cup Legend. The crowd were excited to see two well known, popular coordinators facing off, but Ash couldn't hide his worry now that he knew Dawn had been having a rough time for whatever reason. Clearly, no one knew any more than that, so he settled into his seat in a nervous sulk. He glanced around the audience, wondering who they were cheering more for, and nearly felt his eyes drop from their sockets. "P-Paul?!"

"Hey guys," May gushed, a little breathless, as she, Drew and Max all arrived together in a hurried mess, having sprinted from the car. Caroline and Norman were busy parking, but they'd been dropped off so they could make it in time. "Did we miss anything?" Just as she asked, the timer was set to thirty minutes, and Dawn had called out Mamoswine and Quilava, and Solidad had called out Slowbro and Ampharos.

"Nope," Harley popped the p as he spoke. "Just boy toy numero uno here having a breakdown over someone called Paul?" Craning his neck, Drew could see Solidad immediately start throwing out a powerful surf attack from Slowbro, charged with a crackle of Ampharos' electricity. Dangerous.

"Paul?!" May nearly hissed. "Arceus. What is happening with today?" Dawn was countering, throwing out a clever fire ice combination she'd perfected back in Sinnoh, Quilava flying towards Ampharos in a little sphere of ice, knocking the lighthouse Pokémon over like a bowling pin.

"I thought you said he…" Drew trailed off, not wanting to finish his sentence and a little winded himself. "Mew, I never did take up jogging, did I?" May spared him an amused look, picking up the reference quickly.

"Try being on crutches" Max wheezed. "I've never hobbled so fast in my life." Slowbro was using a psychic attack and flinging Quilava back, and Dawn looked nervous for a moment, but a swell of noise in the crowds reassured her, and she steeled herself, carrying on with a new combination.

"Shut up, the match!" May shot him a look, jumping into a seat next to Harley and hugging her knees to her chest, watching excitedly as Dawn threw out an attack. Max collapsed into the seat next to Ash, and Drew sat with May, giving Harley a warning glance as he did. He was aware that May and Harley had had some friend time, which he was fine with. But it didn't mean he had to like him. "Where's Paul?"

"Over in those seats over there." Pikachu helped with gesturing, pointing out the purple haired man a short distance away from them in the stands. There was no way he would have heard them talking, with how loud and rowdy the crowd were at this festival. "How do you know Paul?" Ash asked, incredulous, leaning back to speak with her. "And why has Dawn been sad? Kenny said Dawn was sad."

"Oh…" May blanked, not sure how to respond. "Paul competed in the Wallace Cup this year, as training. Dawn beat him in the finals."

"Wow, she did?" Ash's face split into a huge grin. "That's incredible! It took me a long time to take down Paul, I'm so impressed!" His smile faltered. "But… she was sad?"

"She's fine, Ash" May assured him, a little apprehensive. "I… I can't say much more than that. But trust me, she's cool."

"I wonder why he's here" Ash mumbled, sitting back in his seat. "Well, whatever. I'm gonna challenge him to a friendly match! It's been too long since I battled him."

"Yeah, get in line" Drew snorted, a little touchy. "I have a score to settle." May laughed awkwardly, squeezing his hand. The battle was getting a little more heated than the standard first few throws, testing each other out. Solidad had started twisting Dawn's combinations against her, and Dawn was trying to anticipate those blows and use them to show off her Pokémon. It was going to be a long match, and neither looked particularly weak to the other.

* * *

"How do you think she took it?" Caroline asked quietly, leaning against the car door. Norman sighed, rubbing his eyes a little, weary. "I mean, really. I don't want to overwhelm her before her battle…"

"I know" Norman agreed tiredly. "I thought the same, but Wallace was so overexcited he just had to do it all today, didn't he?"

"Well, at least we were here" Caroline reasoned, letting out a long breath. "You know more than me. Just… run me through it again."

"In five years, Drake, the most senior member of the elite four, is retiring" Norman explained briskly, "And in five years, Wallace will use this opportunity to change the format of the Elite Four and the League system. In Hoenn, trainers are slowly becoming a minority class - coordinating is so popular in this region and Wallace wants the Elite Four to start representing different trainer classes. But for that to work, they need to be exceptional battlers as well as skilled in their trainer class." Norman's eyes flashed. "I think it's clear to anyone that's watched May's contests that her faults in coordinating are always down to time issues, or points, or doubles battles. It's very rarely the power of her Pokémon, or her battle technique. She would be very suited to league battling, in the one on one structure. It's where she excels."

"I guess..." Caroline murmured, nodding along. "So, he wants her to take over Drake's place?"

"Not quite," Norman amended, rubbing his nose. "I think the idea is that Phoebe would take the role as the senior member, and May would fill in that separate gap. And then, in the future, when another Elite Four member retires, maybe a slot for a breeder specialist would open up, or a slot for a researcher. Someone who uses elements of another trainer class in their battles." His eyes hardened. "But for coordinating… he chose May."

"So what would that mean for her," Caroline pressed, unconvinced. Norman let out a long whistle. "What would she... do?"

"Well, when a challenger wins the Hoenn league, she, along with the rest of the Elite Four will have to battle them" Norman told her briskly. "And she'll be part of the G-Men, working for the branch of government that lends Pokémon Muscle to military forces and deals with problems with criminal organisations and Legendary Pokémon, when they arise. But mostly, she'll have a lot of time to pursue other things outside of the league time table. I imagine Wallace would want her to keep a public profile in contests, to keep up that dual trainer class bracket he's aiming at" Norman theorised, shrugging. "Maybe she'll take on a role in the Wallace Cup, help out with that. Or be a judge, or a presenter, or just do a lot of background work. I don't know, that'll be for them to all figure out if she takes it."

"Do you think she will?" Caroline asked, looking at the floor. "She's so young. And she's only just getting into her stride with contests."

"She'd need to take over my role as Petalburg Gym Leader for a few years first," Norman hummed, thoughtful. "Which I imagine if she chooses to take it on, she'll do once she returns from Unova. But yes, I think she'll take it."

"Really?" Caroline winced, looking back at the contest hall. "Because I think she'll walk away."

* * *

Dawn winced. Both she and Solidad had four Pokémon left each, but only five minutes left on the clock. It had been a very classical contest battle, with slightly gentler moves in favour for flare and drama, and their points had seesawed dramatically through the course of the battle. She still had Togekiss, Piplup, Pachirisu and Lopunny to battle with. The thought of calling on Lopunny and using mega evolution crossed her mind, but she didn't like mega evolving against people who didn't have access to that skill unless it was someone like Paul, who it only served to level the playing field with. Solidad looked just as apprehensive. Ever since Slowbro went down, she'd been a little more edgy, and flicked between her Pokémon frequently. Currently, Pidgeot and Butterfree were keeping Togekiss busy in the air, with Piplup flying on her back, sending out bubble beam attacks to keep them at bay.

Trying desperately to keep things cool, Solidad recalled Butterfree and sent Ampharos out, hoping to clip Togekiss' wings. Pidgeot was a beat, powerful bird and could grab Ampharos by the shoulders, lifting him into the sky to throw a glittering thunder punch out as he jumped free, colliding with Togekiss as he went. But Togekiss was ready and waiting, sending off aura spheres to knock the lighthouse Pokémon back, like target practice. Piplup sent an almighty whirlpool along with it, which collided with the electric type before the aura sphere could hit, but Dawn had underestimated the strength of Ampharos, who seemed to ride the whirlpool seamlessly and use it to boost it's speed, and knocked away the aura spheres with his crackling fist, sending them into spark filled explosions well away from him. The thunder punch connected, and Togekiss was out, but Piplup clung on, tired but determined. Solidad was in the lead now, comfortably, both in points and in numbers of Pokémon left. Dawn had three, and Solidad had five. And Piplup wasn't looking healthy.

Dawn called out Lopunny, almost nervously. She called out for an ice beam that clipped Pidgeot's wing, and Piplup kept the powerhouse that was Ampharos busy a spinning drill peck. Pidgeot was struggling with a frozen wing, falling unceremoniously to the ground, where Piplup could double back from his drill peck and fire off a close range whirlpool, throwing Solidad with the speed of the switching tactics, and Lopunny flew in with a dizzy punch that knocked Ampharos back faster than Solidad could blink. Piplup and Lopunny had been friends for a long time, Dawn's first two Pokémon, and she knew they always bounced off each other well. Soon, a frozen variation of Piplup's bubble beam was knocking Pidgeot out for the count, and when Ampharos staggered across to counter, Lopunny had scooped up the small penguin Pokémon and bounced off the top of the electric type's head. Distracted by Pidgeot's knock out, Solidad missed the chance to fire off a discharge to knock them out, and Piplup sent off a whirlpool for Lopunny to fly in the centre off, flooding the field and throwing a dizzy punch at Ampharos that was super powered from the added momentum. With the field so wet, Solidad knew any powerful electric hits she threw out would be powerful, but uncontrollable, and difficult to manipulate to look good enough for a contest, so she recalled her Ampharos, frustrated.

"This is close" Drew commented darkly, a little disappointed. "I knew it would be, but…"

"I'm reeling from the fact I agree with you, asbestos." Harley pursed his lips. "I thought Solidad was past this, but she's still overthinking the little moves. It's opening up gaps for the navy wonder to play in."

"Solidad… has been struggling?" May blinked, surprised. "It's hard to tell. She's so consistent."

"Ever since Johto," Harley gave May a quirked smile. "Gal was a little down about it then. And then losing to you in Johto was maddening for her. But she regrouped in Kanto. I'm sure she reckoned she'd walk this season, after taking that time, you know?"

"Huh" May leant forward, her elbow on her knee and her chin supported by her hand. "I never thought of Solidad as someone capable of struggling with stuff like this."

"Everyone is human" Ash commented sagely, hanging his head upside down over the back of his seat to look at her. "The strongest trainers have bad times too. Aw man, you should have seen me in Unova. I totally tanked for the first few months."

"You say that like you're one of the strongest trainers" Drew quipped, his face twisting into a sly grin, and Ash's face puffed up, sulky.

"You haven't changed." Ash looked like he was about to run into a rant about how he was better than the last time he and Drew faced off and that he was ready to challenge him whenever he was ready to lose, but Kenny cut them off, leaning forward with an awed grin.

"Guys," he slammed his hands onto the railing, enthralled. " _Guys!_ Look at Deedee!"

Piplup had been recalled, not knocked out, and Pachirisu was forward. Solidad had Lapras and Butterfree out, having recalled Ampharos. Collected and calm, Dawn called for Lopunny to use dizzy punch on Pachirisu, who had become wrapped up into a little concentrated ball, ready for launch. The small white electric type flew through the air, suddenly letting off an almighty discharge attack. As Pachirisu landed between Solidad's two Pokémon, the snapping jaws of the attack consumed them, and Pachirisu was pulling off that stunt they'd used in the appeals, the electricity flaring from blue, to pink, to yellow; it was stunningly pretty, and Solidad's points were crumbling. Dawn glanced at the timer out of the corner of her eye. She had three minutes to keep her lead.

Solidad wasn't having any of it. She called for a sheer cold that crept around the field stealthily, and Butterfree started sending out a stun spore to slow them down. Dawn recalled Lopunny quickly and called out Piplup, using his whirlpool to wash aware the spores as Pachirisu scrambled away from Solidad's side of the field. To knock Lapras off balance, Dawn was sending out a discharge infused bubble beam, twisting and turning towards the aquatic Pokémon, and even catching Butterfree in the process. It was working, and Dawn was starting to breathe. Solidad was getting red in the face, and her composure was cracking. She wasn't sure what to do.

"Dawn's won" Harley sighed, a little disappointed. "Boo. No fun."

"There are still a few minutes, this isn't over!" Ash replied, perched right at the edge of his seat. "You got this Dawn, you got this…"

"No," May shook her head, almost sad. "Harley's right. Solidad's broken. She's not thinking straight. She's lost. It's… really hard to watch, actually."

"Solidad will bounce back" Drew said loftily, masking his concern in confidence. "She always does."

The timer ran out.

Solidad looked a little numb as she stared up at the clock, like she honestly hadn't expected to lose in the end. She looked like someone had thrown a kick to her gut, and expected her to stand and smile at the end of it. Dawn was thrilled, busy squeaking and embracing her three Pokémon, spinning them between her and laughing gaily as they absorbed the reality of their second attempt at a grand festival final. Quietly, Solidad watched, unmoving. In the back of her mind, she tried to scan through her memories as to when she was last to relieved and thrilled to win a match, like Dawn was now, but instead just found a recent history full of either easy wins or frustrating losses. Nothing that had felt like a celebration. Not since back in Kanto.

She recalled her Pokémon and stared at the red and white orbs in her hands, absorbing her thought process meekly. She felt like a kid with a slapped wrist.

* * *

 **The Grand Festival: Interim**

* * *

The four of them sat stretched out on the coastline, enjoying the late evening sun and heat that came with such a tropical region. May and Dawn were talking animatedly, excited for their final the next day and complimenting each other's semi-finals, and Max and Ash were chatting about their respective journeys and the Pokémon they'd each caught so far and all the things Max had learnt from his time with Ash that he used all the time, just like he did with Drew. Ash was thrilled to hear about competing in the Hoenn and Sinnoh leagues, and was very sympathetic to his plight in the Brass Tower.

"Did I ever tell you, Max," Ash began dangerously, crossing his legs underneath him and pulling his cap back, ready for the full intensity of the story. Pikachu crowed in his lap, keen for the tale. "About the time an Entei stole my mother?"

"No, you didn't!" Max breathed, misty eyed and leaning into Ash eagerly. "Tell tell tell!"

"Absolutely not" May cut in crossly, nudging Max in the back pointedly. "Max has heard enough hero stories. He needs to learn how to be a sensible human being and not run into restricted areas, not get all hyped up again."

"No fair!" Max grunted, sulky, and May stuck her tongue out at him, uncaring. "It's not like you never did dangerous stuff! Remember the sea temple, and chasing Manaphy back in?"

"That was different!" May protested, frustrated. "That was to save someone I cared about, not to go running about like a dick looking for rare Pokémon!"

"Still did it" Max pouted.

"Aw man, you guys are the same as ever after all these years!" Ash was clearly feeling nostalgic, sinking back into the sand. "You too, Dawn. When I think about when I first met you both, and your first contests and the ways you approached battling and the way everything worked out for you… honestly you're both incredible." He paused, looking up at the pink streaked sky. "I mean, mega evolution. And… one of you is about to be a top coordinator. I'm so, like…" he stopped to think of the right words. "I'm really glad I was there to see you start, because I can appreciate how far you've come. And you both deserve to do super well tomorrow, and I'm just really proud of you both." He wrinkled his nose. "Is that lame? That I'm proud? I'm real glad Drew told me to come."

"No," Dawn hid a smile behind her fingers, a little colour dusting her cheekbones. It could have been from embarrassment or it could have been from the low sun, May couldn't tell. "You're a real sweetheart sometimes, Ash."

"Yeah" May echoed, a little soft in the eyes. "Thanks. You know. For teaching me the basics. And for being such a great friend, all these years."

"The best friend," Dawn echoed, almost too quickly. Max let out a long, low hum, looking at the horizon. He looked forward to the day he had achievements like that to show off, too.

"So why's Paul here?" Ash sat up, mystified. "Honestly, it's thrown me."

"Uhh" Dawn paled, and May let out a long, slow yawn, considering her words.

"Oh," May replied lightly, flexing her words carefully. "He entered the Wallace Cup for training, he wanted to learn some contest combos to use in battles. I reckon he's probably brushing up on those." Dawn sent her a relieved, thankful smile, and Ash made a little awed noise, accepting the explanation doubtlessly. "I doubt he'll stick around long without reason."

* * *

She was a little restless, Drew noted, stirring her coffee anxiously as her eyes flitted around the room, almost as though looking for a buffer for the conversation that was to follow. Drew took a long drink of his coffee - it was still a little hot, but he preferred it like that. Solidad would occasionally plunge her hand into her hair, giving a frustrated, dismissive sigh, but then she would soon return her focus into her coffee, making bubbles with her spoon and trapping air at the bottom. Patiently, Drew waited.

"How's May feeling about the final?" She asked, keen for a distraction. "You guys made up pretty quick."

"We're fine" Drew replied curtly, not wanting to dwell on it. "She's fine."

"Good." Solidad breathed again, her lips puffing up a little with some trapped air. "That's good."

"Mm hn." Drew kept watching her. She was getting closer and closer to snapping and being honest with him but it was going to take a lot more coaxing. "The battle was good."

"It was fine." Solidad was grumbling a little, taking a sip of her coffee. "I'm very happy for Dawn."  
"Just fine?" Drew prompted, placing his mug down neatly and leaning back, folding his arms. Solidad grunted, displeased.

"So I bummed out again this season." She didn't look up, focusing on the near black drink, watching as the ripples from her agitated stirring began to fade. "So it didn't work. That's fine. I can win next season. Harley and I are both going to Sinnoh. If I keep my focus I can do well there."

"I agree" Drew replied pleasantly, giving her a weary smile. "What's the problem then?"

"When did…" she paused, thinking carefully to find the right words. "When did everyone get as good as us?"

"I dunno" Drew shrugged, arching an eyebrow at her pointedly. "It's annoying, isn't it?"

"It was a good battle" Solidad commented fairly, leaning backwards. "I have a better idea of what I'm lacking now."

"There are always positives to take from situations like this" Drew agreed, taking another sip of his drink. "I think it was you who told me that in the first place."

"I can do better now." Solidad was upset, but resolved. Drew smiled. He had never been good at giving her advice. Really, she was a bit of a one way road in that regard. But he knew she valued an opportunity to bounce stray thoughts off on elastic ears, and he figured she'd done the same for him quite a few times, it was time for him to return the favour. "It's still annoying."

"Like hell" he scoffed.

* * *

"Thank you" Dawn mumbled, a little shy. "For… not telling Ash about Paul."

"I trust your judgement" May shrugged, frowning. "You should think about what you're doing though."

"I know," Dawn assured her, a little apprehensive. "I am." They had walked past the Pokémon Center with Ash and Max to drop them off to their rooms before headed back to the dorms, with long, dragged footfall and weary, sagging shoulders. It had been a long day, and Slateport was giving them a little warning it would be dark sooner rather than later, and that they needed to get a move on to be in bed at a decent time before their final tomorrow.

"So how _did_ you and Drew make up?" Dawn waggled a suggestive eyebrow, and May felt a blush stain her cheeks. "I mean, one day you were storming out and crying and getting all angsty and then before the semi-finals you were all cuddles and kisses." She paused, humming to herself. "I still think it's weird when Drew is affectionate. It's like… looking at a Diglett that's been pulled out of the ground. It's not natural."

"Shut up," May flushed, giving her a glare. "We talked it out, that's all."

"Any more neck business I should be aware of?" Dawn teased, throwing her hair behind her shoulder. May burnt crimson. "You know, for mocking purposes, purely." May opened and closed her mouth, not really finding words for the situation that didn't feel incredibly unnatural. "Oh wow, there was, wasn't there?" Dawn was grinning, watching as May deteriorated into a mess of blood vessels, and her grin only stretched wider. "May, what did you _do_?" Pausing, she began to inhale dramatically, bursting into fits of laughter. "You didn't! Oh Arceus, are you telling me…?"

"Dawn, shut up shut up shut up!" May hissed, her eyes wide, spinning around cartoonishly to make sure no one was in earshot. "Yes, we _did_ , can we not talk about it anymore?"

"Wow, I was not expecting that." Dawn was cackling, relishing her friend's humiliation. "Was it good?"

"D-a-w-n!" May didn't think she could feel anymore awkward, ever, ever again. "Can we not…!"

"Alright, alright," she was laughing hard, almost doubled over. "Your little face, so red and blotchy, it's so funny!" May scowled, storming on ahead a little, and apologetically Dawn caught her up, linking their arms together and giggling quietly. "Sorry. You did make up pretty sharp though, like you nearly gave Solidad whiplash!"

"We just talked it out," May mumbled, still abashed. "You know, most every problem I think we've ever had got a lot better after we just talked about it. Aired everything out, you know? I mean, in Sinnoh, and now…"

"Yeah…" Dawn's voice slowed, like she was reflecting a little. "I guess."

"I'm just glad he seems a little more willing to communicate now" May sighed, twisting some hair around her finger. "Honestly it just seems like the most important thing. Being able to talk to someone, and process things with them." Dawn let out a long, weary breath. They made their way into the contest dorms a little sluggishly, passing by the main desk and straight towards their bedrooms. "Anyway, it's all fine now. I'm gonna go to Unova with him."

"What, really?" Dawn was a little taken back. "But… May, there are no contests there."

"I know" May smiled, shrugging. "But he needs this, I think, to get out of this funk he's in. And I love the idea of exploring somewhere new. And… it just feels like a whole new chapter. I was thinking about it all today, and I just… I don't know. I don't want him to delay doing something he needs for his coordinating for my sake," she shrugged. "And I've never gotten to travel with him, not really. I mean, kinda in Sinnoh for those few months, but… I want to see where this goes."

"But…" Dawn's voice went a little weak. "What if I win tomorrow? Wouldn't you want to… keep going, and get your ribbon cup?"

"If you win Dawn, I'm going to be completely heartbroken" May admitted honestly, giving her a smile. "Just like you would be if I won. Maybe I'd need the time to lick my wounds a little." Dawn closed her eyes for a moment. They were outside of their rooms now, facing opposite each other. They'd started so well, throwing paper planes into each other's rooms as the contest had begun, but as each of them became more enveloped in the Grand Festival, their doors had remained shut tight.

"... We're best friends, May" Dawn told her confidently, giving her a hard smile. "I've lost to my best friend in a Grand Festival final before."

"So have I" May echoed, thinking of Johto with a painful stab in her chest. "We both know how to lose."

"But we both know how to keep the people we lose to, and how to be happy for them." Dawn grabbed hold of May's hands tightly, interlocking their fingers. "You and I… we'll step on that battlefield as true rivals tomorrow."

"But we'll step off it as best friends," May beamed, feeling a rush of admiration and love for the girl in front of her. During her year in Kalos, Dawn was the person she had spoken to the most. Something about Dawn's innate ability to read people, to understand their emotions and sympathise and work with them, it had been so precious to May and she'd relied on her for so much during such a confusing, lost time. May knew she would never forget that. "I really hope you're bringing your all tomorrow, because I'm gonna cream you."

"Not a chance!" Dawn shot back, fired up. "Mark my words, May, this is going to be a battle to end all battles!"

"You got it! And then tomorrow, when it's all done, you and I are having the first dance at the closing ceremonies" May was somewhere between laughter and determination, meeting Dawn's fire with her own. Her eyes flashed, good natured, but ready. "To clear the air."

"Sounds like a plan" Dawn murmured, her lips quirking into a smile. They each turned and entered their own rooms, shutting the doors behind them stiffly.

* * *

 **The Grand Festival: The Finals**

* * *

Dawn scrunched the towel around the lengths of her long, blue hair. It was getting a little ratty at the ends, and she'd need to get it trimmed soon, but there wasn't time to worry about that just now. Piplup was laid back on her bed, letting out occasional long breaths as the little penguin began to psyche himself up for the day ahead. Running a comb through the knots and tangles in the navy locks, Dawn stared at the bathroom mirror in a blank, yet sharp gaze. It was all steamed up from the shower, so she swiped her hand across it, collecting the cool condensation on her fingers and seeing herself a little clearer, flushed pink from the scalding water and a towel folded carefully so it hung under her arms neatly. It was going to be a long day. Her phone rattled against the bathroom counter noisily, so she checked it for the fifteenth time that day.

'You'll be fine. Stop worrying about the big picture, focus on each move as it happens. Treat it as any other contest.'

Zoey had been texting her advice back and forth all morning. Her Grand Festival was just beginning, and she was frustrated that she couldn't be there, Dawn knew. She typed out a speedy but lengthy reply, gushing her nerves and frustrations. Paul was there. Why was Paul at the Festival? She turned back to the mirror, irritated. Her eyes looked a little red; she'd been up half the night talking to her mother on the phone, getting a last minute breather of motherly love and advice, which at the time, had calmed her and helped her get to sleep at last. But now, knowing her mother was glued to the TV watching and that Zoey was going to be streaming it in Kanto, and that it was May, it was May, of all the people to fight in the final, it had to have been May. In her head, no matter who had beaten who in contests or battles, or who had turned to who for advice, May had always felt just that little bit her senior. She'd met Ash first, been in two Grand Festivals before she'd entered her first contest, used at incredible fire and water combination at the tag team battles they'd had back in Sinnoh and been a calming, strangely mature presence when she'd fought for her self-esteem back in Lake Valor. She was infallibly kind to her, and funny, and always ready to waste a day shopping or binge drinking milkshakes with her, and whenever she got the slightest worry Dawn was upset, would look at her with those big, soul searching blue eyes, because May was a person built entirely out of empathy and sweetness. To know that person would either have to lose to her, or would be the person to beat her, and that one of them would crush the other's dreams for that year… Dawn felt nauseous.

She dressed quickly, in the bubble-gum pink shorts May had helped her pick out, and the turtle necked, sleeveless black top they'd gushed over together. She clicked her choker in place, carefully twisting her keystone so it flashed brightly against the strains in her neck. She applied her make up carefully, precisely winging eyeliner along the curves in her sockets and dusting blush over her cheekbones artistically. It felt a little less like show makeup today and more like war paint. A confident mask for a bubbling fear.

Beanie in place, and Piplup perched atop it, she strode out through the door confidently, hearing a quiet hum of conversation coming from May's room. Drew must have been in there with her, keeping her calm. Steeling herself, Dawn didn't give herself time to think about it, moving on rigidly and making her way towards the Contest Hall. The dorm's lobby was pretty empty as she passed through, and the day outside was hot and humid, like every other day in Slateport had been. It hadn't bothered her until then, and now it felt suffocating. Walking through the streets, she felt jittery and shaky, in a way she hadn't before the Sinnoh Grand Festivals Final. It was hard to place why, though. Maybe because she had a better chance of winning, this year. She was much stronger now, and had a pretty even record of defeating and losing to May. It was a much more equal standing. It was far less predictable. Stood outside the Hall was Paul, watching her as she approached. His arms were crossed and he was leant back against the wall with one foot pressed against it, his eyes focused on her like he'd been waiting for her. But he didn't approach her, just nodding at her in acknowledgement, and she supposed that was the closest to support she could expect from him. For a moment, she paused, wondering whether it was worth approaching him to talk. But instead, she merely returned his stiff nod and moved on, feeling a chill in her stomach. What did he want from her, anyway?

The Contest Hall was packed, even though she was early. There was electric in the air, buzzing between super fans who eagerly discussed the odds of either May or Dawn, May or Dawn, May or Dawn. Suddenly feeling ill, she hurried through and past them, hoping none of them would see her.

"Deedee" Kenny spotted her quickly, stood close by her. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she grabbed it just as he grabbed her shoulder, gently steering her away from the crowds and towards the backstage entrance. Dawn smiled at him gratefully. "You look great. How are you feeling?"

"Like I don't look great" Dawn replied breathlessly, rubbing the bridge of her nose between two fingers. Kenny sighed, smiling a little, and they made their way into the backstage waiting room together. It was completely empty, but Dawn had expected that. She knew she'd left before May. She slipped out her phone, checking it again. Zoey. The text just held a few choice expletives in reference to Paul's presence and not a lot else. She laughed, almost nervously, and showed Kenny, who laughed as well.

"She sure has a knack for alliteration" Kenny stated dryly, and Dawn nodded, giggling a little. "You know, win or lose, you've done so well this season. Like, it's very clear you were born to be a fantastic coordinator."

"You think?" Dawn gave him a shy, warm smile, and Kenny nodded, grinning a little.

"Honestly, your combinations are some of the cleverest things I've ever seen" he assured her, breathing out through his nose a little. "You have a real flair for bringing out the best in your Pokémon. You really have an eye for the visual, you really…" he trailed off, as though suddenly sad. "You really have a lot going for you."

"Kenny," Dawn frowned, stepping a little closer to him. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah" he shook himself, smiling again. "I just had a thought. But it's not an important one. What's important is you going out there and kicking some Hoenn butt, like I know you can. And the crowd is going to be really in May's favour, being this is her home ground and all, but…" he paused, his eyes flashing at her warmly. "You know no matter what, I'm cheering for you, and so is all of Sinnoh! I spoke to my Dad on the phone this morning, and apparently Joanna has invited the whole town to your house to watch. They're having a big party in honour of you."

"She didn't tell me…" Dawn looked down, suddenly tearful. Her heart sped up a little at the thought of all of her neighbours and childhood friends and family squashed together in their home, cheering for her. "She probably thought it would just put pressure on me."

"I'm sorry, would you rather not have known?" Kenny blanked, suddenly a little worried, but Dawn shook her head, smiling.

"No, I'm glad" she reassured him, laughing to herself. "It's... a nice image in my head. I know they're all supporting me, so I can't let them down!"

"Deedee, even if you lost, I really doubt you'd be letting anyone down" Kenny told her firmly. "I mean, not that you're going to! But, I mean, everyone is already so proud of you."

"Aw Kenny," Dawn sniffed, laughing thickly. "Thank you. Honestly. I think I needed that." She wrapped her arms around him tightly, fastening herself around his neck and burying her head in his shoulder. "You're such a good friend to me Kenny. I appreciate that so much. It's so important to me."

"I know," Kenny snorted, tucking a little hair behind his ear before hugging her back. "Not many people would still be your friend knowing the shit I know about you. I'm pretty special."

"Kenny," Dawn drawled, in a long, warning voice. "Watch it. We were having a nice moment."

* * *

"Just keep thinking clearly," Solidad told her briskly, her hands on her hips as she walked alongside May. They were walking along towards the contest hall, with Harley just in front of them, walking backwards, and Drew the other side of May. One last big pep talk. "You've got all the tools you need to beat her; you just need to be thinking straight to use them.

"Think of it like…" Harley paused, tilting his head to the side. "Like a videogame. They don't let you in the boss fight until you've collected all the little gadgets and trinkets you need along the way; you can't get to the big fight without them. Then all you have to do is use them in the right order at the right time."

"That's…" May gave a sudden, big grin. "That's a really good analogy."

"Yeah, it is" Solidad laughed, a little baffled. "I didn't know you were a videogame fan, Harley."

"Oh please," he tossed his hair over his shoulder. "Fan is such a boring word. I prefer the word master." Drew rolled his eyes, about to say something sharp in response, but May caught him before he could, jabbing him in the ribs. "Anyway, doll, you best win this. It wouldn't be right for Little Miss Sinnoh to come and steal away our home grown champ!"

"Dawn has just as much claim on that Ribbon Cup as I do for now," May reminded him tersely, weirdly relaxed. "It's fine. We're gonna battle, and one of us is going to win. And what happens next, happens."

"You seem much less… irate about the possibility of losing" Solidad noticed, a little surprised. "Especially when the other day you were so tense about the whole, I put two years' work into this, thing."

"Yes," May breathed, blinking. "I suppose. Situations change, don't they?"

"What do you mean?" Solidad pressed, concerned. May shook her head, feeling a little overwhelmed. It was hard to focus entirely on the Grand Festival, now. Drew gave her a sidelong look, not saying anything, but pursing his lips, annoyed. "May?"

"Someone gave her some news" Drew clarified vaguely. "But it's not important right now."

"No, it's not" May agreed, squeezing her eyes shut for a second to refocus. "It's not important."

"What's in your pocket?" Drew asked, frowning. She hadn't wanted to take her whole bag into the battle with her, and her pokeballs all fit nicely into her short's rear pockets when she did so, but there was something big and rectangular in her front pocket, sticking out a little, not fitting in the shallow pockets women's clothes were confined to. May blushed, putting her hand over it carefully.

"Just... nothing." She shook her head. "Again, it's not important."

Once they reached the contest hall, they ducked past the spectator crowds in the lobby and headed straight backstage, whisking May through before any of the crowd could spot and identify her. It was almost silly, and May just laughed through it; it all felt so over the top and melodramatic, but she was grateful all the same. She was glad they were the ones with her. She knew despite everything, all three of them just wanted the best for her. Now she was there, finally, after so long building to this one little moment, and so many months of preparation, of grind and of work; now it felt a little surreal and May couldn't even muster up any nerves. It was just a warm, glowing feeling. Like there was nowhere else on earth she was meant to be that moment, and that every moment that had led to it had somehow been completely vital for that.

Dawn was sat on a bench with Kenny, talking quietly, but they looked up as soon as the four of them arrived, a little alarmed. May stopped laughing as quickly as she could, softening and nodding at her friend. Dawn nodded back, giving her an unsure smile.

"Relax, Dawn" May giggled, suddenly really excited. "Aren't you looking forward to this? We always have such fun battles; I can't wait to get out there and see where it takes us!"

"R-right!" Dawn stood up, her lower lip trembling a little. "I'm ready for you. No need to worry, right?"

"Right." May snorted out a laugh, shaking her head from side to side. "I'm not going easy on you just because your shorts are cute, by the way."

* * *

Drew had split off from Solidad and Harley after they left May backstage. Kenny went along with them, a little tense and nervous, looking behind him as they left the room and the two girls to be alone. Once they'd reached the stands though, he left them, and went to track down someone else instead. He'd found Matthew waiting near the top of the bleachers, looking down on the stage in a weird, tight focus. He looked up when Drew approached, clapping him on the shoulder as per their usual awkward greeting.

"Shall we?" Matthew asked, a little tense, and Drew nodded, much more relaxed. They found some seats together; they were some of the first in the arena, and it would become densely packed within the next ten minutes, so they made sure to pick out seats with a good view of both the screens that would give close ups on the battle, and also the stage so they could be sure to see all of the action at all times. They sat, unceremoniously, and waited in silence for the battle to start up. The judges were starting to take their seats, Wallace took a place of honour in the middle of them, which was clearly a little makeshift as none of them had known he was going to appear. Vivian was talking to Mr Contesta, perched on the judge's table as she chatted with him, and Nurse Joy was leaning forward to join in.

"Drew!" Max's voice cut through their comfortable silence, and both Hayden's turned sharply to see the teenager hobbling towards them, Caroline helping him as best he could down the steps while Norman shook his head in the background, quietly amused at his son. "Hey! Did you see May this morning? Is she ready? Was she feeling okay? Is she nervous?"

"Max." Drew already felt tired. "She seemed fine." The three of them filed into seats behind them, so Drew felt a little awkward as he knew he needed to introduce them. "Dad, this is May's family, Norman, Caroline and her brother Max. This is my Dad."

"Matthew," he introduced himself politely, shaking Norman's hand a little unsurely. Norman nodded, his own little acknowledgement.

"Pleasure!" Norman replied brightly. "I apologise in advance for my son, he's very excitable and very supportive of his sister."

"Well why shouldn't I be?" Max pouted between his parents, huffing a little. "She's going to kick Dawn's butt! She's unbeatable!"

"Max," Caroline chided quietly, giving him a look that was somewhere between fond and embarrassed. "At least wait until the battle starts before being so loud."

"Good luck with that," Drew snorted, and Max prodded him with his crutches in revenge. "Please, Arceus, would you stop being annoying for one day?"

"I'll stop being annoying when you stop being such a weenie _._ " Max grinned, enjoying Drew's distress. Matthew stifled laughter behind his hand, and Drew glared at him narrowly. "Besides, I'm not prodding you, I'm prodding Beautifly…"

"I swear to Arceus" Drew turned around, flashing him a look of fury few had seen before, but Norman was already confiscating Max's crutches with a sigh, shaking his head apologetically, while Matthew and Caroline tried really hard not to laugh.

"So…" Matthew ventured lightly, pressing a fist to his lips to keep from shaking. "A weenie, huh?"

* * *

Ash had overslept, and sprinted to get to the hall on time, but was pleased to find Kenny, Solidad and Harley all sat together, with a few spare seats dotted around them, so he jumped into the one next to Kenny with a loud greeting, Pikachu leaping from his shoulder to his lap quite happily. The others greeted him, before launching straight back into their debate of who they thought would win. Immediately, they turned to Ash as a source of comparison between the two.

"I mean, I know loads about Deedee's battling and they know lots about May's," Kenny reasoned, shrugging, "and the three of us know plenty about coordinating between us. But you probably have the best chance of comparing the two, being their old travel buddy and all."

"Comparing May and Dawn…" Ash paused, frowning. "That's hard. They're both so different in a lot of ways but so similar in others!"

"Well, I could have told you that" Solidad deadpanned. "What about their battling? What strengths and weaknesses would you attribute to each of them?"

"May I would say is the stronger battler," Ash reasoned, rubbing his nose a little. "In terms of brute strength and who would win in a no rules Pokémon battle and all. She's got some real powerful Pokémon. But Dawn I would say is better with like, combinations and thinking up things that'll look pretty. Saying that, May comes up with super nice combos too, and Dawn's Pokémon are super tough. It's not like either of them are weaker where the other is stronger." He paused, thinking hard. "The thing Dawn always struggled with was her appeals and making her Pokémon be at the centre of them, but in terms of battles she was always super awesome offensively. And then May, her problem when I travelled with her was being too offensive, wasn't it? I mean, that's why she stopped travelling with me. She didn't want my league battling to influence her contest battling anymore."

"So who's your money on?" Harley pressed, finding all that information trivial. "If you had to pick a stronger coordinator between the two, who would you pick?"

"Neither?" Ash laughed awkwardly. "I don't know, really. I think it's one of those things where it just depends on the day."

"Well, that's a let-down" Harley grumbled, falling back into his seat. Kenny laughed awkwardly.

"They're coming out!" Kenny leant forward, grinning as Dawn appeared on one side of the stage and May the other. Dawn was waving with one hand, up on her tip toes, focusing on the cameras a little more than the crowd. There was a whole legion of supporters she had, watching in different time zones, and she wanted to make sure she addressed them. May was nearly hopping on the spot, both of her hands flying above her head, a big grin on her face. All her friends and family were right there with her, and as she came out a loud chant started up, repeating Princess over and over and over. She seemed to soak it up like a sponge, facing Dawn with a steady strength and calm, relaxed demeanour.

* * *

Vivian made some announcements, reiterating the half an hour time limit and the six on six battles, with substitutions if they needed. Wallace was leaning forward, listening carefully and smiling wide, showing his teeth like a purrloin. Then, Vivian introduced the two competitors grandly, each with a brief description.

"First up, we have our home grown Princess of Hoenn! She's taken this Grand Festival by storm, producing Kalosian styled appeals and daring battling that has utilised the mysterious concept of mega evolution to its full potential! Ladies and Gentlemen, give it up for Petalburg's very own May Maple!"

The crowd were blisteringly loud, with banners and flags waving for her all around the arena, and May blushed bright, smiling and laughing as she took it all in. It was hard not to be swept away in the love her region poured on her.

"Next, we have the fiercely clever coordinator from Sinnoh, known for her incredibly polished combination moves and her repeated Wallace Cup victories! She's been tearing through this season and has pulled out a surprise mega evolution of her own! From all the way over in Twinleaf Town, it's Dawn Berlitz!"

Dawn had expected the crowd to be a little more subdued for her than they had for May, but she was proven wrong. Clearly, the tension and excitement of the occasion inspired some wave of enthusiasm for both competitors, and flags still waved and banners still rattled. The screams were deafening, and Dawn felt herself melt into them, finding her ground to dig her feet into.

"With half an hour on the clock, or timer… starts… now!"

* * *

May called out Shinx and Litleo, and Dawn called out Piplup and Pachirisu. Lifting a hand and pointing forwards, Dawn called the first move.

"Bad choice, right off the bat" Max sulked, suddenly deflated, sinking into his seat. "It's the Grand Festival Finals! Why is she using two of her weakest Pokémon?"

"They might not be as high levelled as her other Pokémon, but they are the kind to win over an audience" Matthew explained, tilting his head back to address him. "May is less likely to lose points early on if her Pokémon enamour the audience and judges to their favour."

"It's concerning though," Drew frowned, not convinced. "That Piplup is nothing to sneeze at." As he spoke, Piplup was charging up a whirlpool attack that as soon as it left his peak, Pachirisu had sent off a discharge to run a static charge through the cyclone of water, and May paused for a moment, looking momentarily startled. It was a bold way to start the match. But Shinx and Litleo were fast, and together they bounded towards the impending whirlpool. Under May's command, they shot a dual blast of thunderbolt and flamethrower into the eye of it, and shattered it, creating a shimmering rainfall that the two Pokémon chased each other around in, cute and light hearted, and Dawn's points dropped quickly. "Huh. Not bad."

"It's like I said," Matthew replied loftily, and Drew grunted, annoyed. Dawn wasn't the type to let someone dismantle their moves and let it go unpunished, so it wasn't long until Piplup was flying towards Litleo with a spinning drill peck, not giving May time to counter, and as soon as it landed, Piplup propelled himself to safety by blasting out a bubble beam, directly hitting the little fire type and shooting the penguin Pokémon back towards his trainer, landing neatly back to Pachirisu again. Litleo shook herself down, hurt, but determined, and bounded back forwards with big padding paws. May didn't falter, immediately calling out for Litleo to use noble roar, and for Shinx to start using charge to build up extra energy. Distracted by the sudden drop in their attack strength and the surprising roar from such a little Pokémon, Piplup and Pachirisu weren't prepared for the super powered thunderbolt that dropped onto them. Piplup was knocked back, a strong enough Pokémon to withstand the hit but significantly weakened, and Pachirisu was thrown but limited in the damage taken. Dawn's points took a drop from the quick combinations by May though, and while the Pokémon were distracted, Litleo bounded forward, slamming into Pachirisu with a speedy take down for good measure.

"Yep, I take it back!" Max grinning, bouncing in his seat a little. "Litleo and Shinx are awesome!"

"They're so cute as well!" Caroline gushed, her hands to her cheeks. "Ohhh, my little girl sure has an eye for the sweetest little Pokémon!"

"I don't think that's the whole point, Caroline." Norman arched an eyebrow, laughing a little.

* * *

Dawn recalled Piplup, wanting to give him a little time to rest so he could come back later, but Pachirisu was still standing strong, skittering around the stage excitedly. She called out her Togekiss, wanting to get an aerial advantage over the two earthbound Pokémon. Soon, Pachirisu was soaring overhead, riding the fairy type around the ceiling of the stadium, the pair sending down aura spheres that were super charged with Pachirisu's discharge, flooding the stage like small bombs, leaving Shinx and Litleo to run around, terrified of the loud noises and the sudden explosions around the stage. They were both nervous and worried, and them getting wound up was starting to get May nervous as well.

"Guys, guys, please calm down!" May pleaded, glancing at the scoreboard nervously. Her Pokémon's reactions were losing them points. "Okay, okay, both of you, return!" She recalled them before they could trip over their own feet, or worse, get hit by one of those blasts, and thought carefully about who she would call out next. She had a specific team in mind for this battle, and she thumbed over her four remaining pokeballs, thinking carefully. Settling, she sent out Glaceon and Azumarill. They hadn't worked together much before, but in training they'd come up with some pretty combinations, and they might be able to counter some of these aura spheres. Quickly, she ordered Azumarill to use aqua tail to propel herself up to Togekiss and Pachirisu, knowing them out of the sky with a quick play rough, and Glaceon was on the floor ready to meet them, ice shards ready to pummel them as they hit the ground. Togekiss couldn't take the ice, and was the first knock out of the round, at fifteen minutes in. It looked like the winner of the match was going to win on points, and that didn't sit well with May. Dawn called out Quilava, and Pachirisu was getting weary so Piplup came back out, ready to go again.

* * *

"Oh man," Ash had his head in his hands, not completely able to process the battle in front of him. "I can't take it. It's so intense. I just…"

"You doing okay there, buddy?" Harley cooed, rubbing his back, making Ash cringe away a little.

"It's just…!" He jumped up to his feet for a moment, trying to work off some energy. "I'm just so impressed with both of them! They're battling so smart and they're fighting so hard, and the points just keep going up and down and up and down and they're so well matched, but…" he paused, grinning. "They've just become so much stronger! And they keep growing all the time! And I just wish they could both win it because they totally deserve to!"

"They really are well matched," Solidad agreed, humming a little. "It's weird. I honestly can't think of two coordinators on a more similar level of ability. They both use a lot of offensive, risky tactics as well."

"Well, we can all blame Ash for that!" Kenny laughed openly. "Risky, offensive battling? That's you down to a t!"

"It does make sense that they'd both be influenced by you a lot in their battles," Solidad agreed, tilting her head to the side. "They've both taken on that offensive streak in very different ways though."

"Well, I'm really flattered if they have!" Ash rubbed the back of his neck, laughing. "Right Pikachu?"

* * *

Dawn had been surprised when May had Azumarill throw out swirling aqua tails for Glaceon to freeze, creating great twisting pillars of ice around the stage for Glaceon to bounce between, her reflection catching and refracting and making it impossible to track her. Azumarill was hovering on top of them, shooting hydro pumps down at an unsuspecting Quilava when he was distracted looking for them, and shadow balls would appear and strike Piplup when he was facing the wrong way. May had control of the field as long as these ice pillars were in place, and she had to get rid of them. So she charged up a combination of her own.

Piplup and Quilava found each other, and Piplup began to charge up the biggest whirlpool he could, holding it well above his head but then twisting it down to face Quilava, so it rotated in the direction Quilava was facing. Then, Quilava charged up his flame wheel, and leapt inside of the vortex, the flames catching with the whirlpool and creating that fusion crackle that May was painfully familiar with. May's face falling said enough for Dawn, and suddenly the field was torn apart by May's own signature move, the pillars crumbling to the ground, Glaceon getting caught by a particularly heavy hit, and Azumarill tumbling down the pillars as they shattered, landing hard on the ground. May's points plummeted faster and further than either of their points had the entire battle, and Dawn solidified a good lead. Suddenly, May felt her chest constrict. This was trouble. She only had seven minutes left to change the whole battle, or else she had come all that way for nothing. The blood ran out of her face, and for a moment, she felt light headed. Dizzily, she recalled her Azumarill, who was struggling to stand. Glaceon seemed okay for now, though. Beautifly. She needed Beautifly.

* * *

"All the colour has gone out her face" Caroline breathed, her eyes wide. "Did she eat enough breakfast this morning? Is she going to pass out?"

"I'm sure she can last seven minutes without food, Mom" Max mumbled, though his lips were pulled tight.

"Dawn really knows how to throw someone off" Drew frowned. "She did it against Solidad as well. She just knows how to make someone panic, and how to get the timing of it perfect. If May can just calm down…"

"With seven minutes?" Norman shook his head. "She doesn't want to calm down. That's not how she works."

"What do you mean?" Caroline blinked, a little confused.

"May needs to surprise her right back," Norman folded his arms, leaning forward. "And when I think of all the times May has surprised me… it's when she gets aggressive. She needs to get aggressive. It's time for her to pull out that offense she's so well acquainted with. And this," he turned to Caroline, a little smile on his face, "is when we see the reason Wallace wants her."

* * *

"Glaceon," May called, her fist tightening. "Shadow ball. Hit it hard with iron tail." Her feet were planted firmly apart, and her shoulders were locked back squarely. Glaceon hit the purple energy ball forward like a tennis ball.

"Push it back with bubble beam!" Dawn countered quickly, but May was having none of it.

"Beautifly, psychic" May retorted, her knuckles white and her voice a little shrill. "Grab those bubbles, pull it all together, and send it back towards us!"

"What…?" Dawn paused, baffled for a moment, but May's face was giving nothing away, her teeth ground together and her eyebrows knitted together in a tight, unbreaking focus.

"Glaceon, mirror coat!" May finally added, thrusting her and forwards. "And Beautifly, silver wind!" Every stacked move together hurtled towards Piplup and Quilava, and there was no move strong enough between them to deflect it or send it back.

"D-Dodge it!" Dawn tried, desperately, but it was too late. The purple of the shadow ball mixed with the silver of Beautifly's signature move, and the bubbles popped noisily, flashing in the blue from the psychic, colliding with the two Pokémon in a huge bundle of shimmering power. An instant double knock out. Dawn recalled her starter and Quilava quietly, staring at the two pokeballs in her hands in a moment of reflection. "This isn't over."

"Bring it on" May challenged, her upper lip slightly curled. She recalled Glaceon with a quiet word of thanks, pressing the Pokeball to her lips. "Blaziken, take the stage! Beautifly, use quiver dance!" The bug type began to enthral the audience in its twitching, graceful flutters, twisting around Blaziken as he appeared, his collar catching the light, letting his mega stone shimmer prettily.

"Mamoswine! Lopunny! Spotlight!" Both Pokémon appeared in a flash of light, and Lopunny's silver chain bounced a little with the momentum as they landed, immediately in battle position. Dawn felt a chill in her spine as she anticipated the next few moves, and without a second's hesitation, May was reaching for her ear and Dawn was moving to touch her throat. They weren't going to waste each other's time. "Lopunny, let's show them what we set out to achieve, together! Mega evolve!"

"Blaziken," May's voice was a little choked. "It's finally here. It's finally time. Bond your heart with mine once more; mega evolve!"

The crowd were screeching as the two Pokémon began to fill with light, limbs engorging and shapes shifting before their eyes in a piercing white light, as shimmering colours filled May and Dawn's faces, reflecting their keystones as they powered up.

"Now, while she's busy," May cut through, suddenly smirking. "Beautifly, silver wind!"

"Mamoswine, blizzard, send it back!" Dawn countered, annoyed she'd used mega evolution as a distraction, but more that she hadn't thought of it first. "Don't let its size fool you, that's a tough bug!"

"You got that right," May turned to Blaziken. "Let's get moving, brick break on Lopunny. I'm trusting you with a lot of autonomy here." Blaziken nodded, understanding. They'd discussed it beforehand. Blaziken would need to handle Lopunny alone for a while so she could focus on Beautifly and keeping Dawn's points low. Blaziken took off, charging towards Lopunny in powerful, long strides. "Now Beautifly, keep going with that silver wind! I know you can push through that blizzard, you can!" The two wind based attacks struggled against each other, neither making much headway. Dawn was busy instructing Lopunny as well, ordering a dizzy punch, trying to balance the two attackers. Beautifly pushed harder. Blizzard fell back, flying at Mamoswine in a great gush of silver air, crystallizing over his tusks.

Blaziken blasted Lopunny with a close range overheat, singing the Pokémon's fur and sending her flying. She jumped back quickly, Dawn calling on a bounce attack, and moved it into a drain punch to recover some energy.

May ordered Beautifly to hit Lopunny with a silver wind to knock her a little off course on the attack, which Dawn hadn't expected and Lopunny missed Blaziken completely, in which time Blaziken had dropped a blaze kick right on top of Mamoswine's head and knocked it out cold. Dawn started to chew her lip. Her points had dropped again, and May had caught up. She sent out Pachirisu, but she was nervous now and Pachirisu seemed to pick up on that.

Still, May ploughed on. Blaziken was back grappling with Lopunny, who was finally able to hit a powerful drain punch, but Blaziken hit straight back with a blaze kick right into her side. They were equally matched in a lot of ways, and kept bouncing back into each other, colliding and separating in the sky, propelling themselves up with their powerful legs.

"You know Dawn," May called over, enthralled. "I thought at the Wallace Cup that offense would be the wrong way to beat you. But now I see I just gotta take you head on, and fight as hard as you hit."

"You're doing pretty well, May" Dawn breathed, anxious. "I'll give you that. Pachirisu, hit Beautifly with your discharge!"

"Beautifly, dodge with quiver dance!" May followed up quickly. "And then hit strong! Silver wind!"

* * *

Marina stood in the doorway of the bleachers, right at the top of the room, looking down on the stage from a great height. She'd seen some kind of shift in May after the ice pillars came down, and she recognised it from a few of their battles. She smiled to herself. Oh Dawn, she thought, don't you know better?

Her phone buzzed in her hands, beginning to ring as she'd anticipated it doing. She'd hoped that it would ring once a victor was called, but for once, it was a little more important than a contest, so she decided it was best to just make her way out.

"Hi, Jimmy" she greeted, answering, walking out of the stadium without looking behind her. "It's been a while."

* * *

Dipping and diving around the blast of electricity was almost too easy for the experienced contest Pokémon. Dawn grunted, frustrated, when silver wind hit and Pachirisu was blown back. It was too much. Too much was happening on the stage at once, and suddenly Lopunny crashed to the ground in front of her, Blaziken overpowering her again. Her head felt thick. Thoughts were jumbled and panicked. This wasn't supposed to happen.

"Lopunny, get up!" Dawn pleaded, anxious, but then Blaziken flew down out of nowhere, landing a brick break on top of the rabbit Pokémon, bashing her into the ground. There was a big flash of light, and as Blaziken hopped away, Lopunny was back to her usual form, unconscious. "N-No! No way!" No contest had ever seen a mega evolved Pokémon knocked out before, the timer was always too quick. "That's impossible!"

"Beautifly, get psychic ready" May was ruthless, not taking a second to breathe. "Power up Blaziken's overheat!" The ball of fire was a little weaker than the last time they sent it out, but psychic did the trick, and Pachirisu was knocked out as well. There were thirty seconds on the clock left, but somehow, within the last fifteen minutes May had knocked out every single one of Dawn's Pokémon.

The timer froze in place and the audience were silent for a split second as they processed what had happened in front of them. Dawn recalled her Pokémon and fell onto her knees, staring blankly at May, who hadn't reacted yet. She stared at Dawn, as if waiting for the next Pokémon to come out, but it didn't come. She looked up at the scoreboard just in time to see it change to her face, smiling brightly as the Grand Festival photographer had snapped it between rounds, the words of victory she'd craved finally written underneath.

Winner.

Her blood went cold, and goosebumps ran out across her whole body, leaving her shaking. Really quietly, like it was muffled in her ear, she could make out Vivian announcing something and suddenly she was grabbing her hand, raising it into the air and announcing her as the winner of the Hoenn Grand Festival. There were people screaming, but it was all so quiet, like she was wearing really thick ear plugs. All she could hear was her own pulse, pounding in her head like an irregular drum beat. Beautifly came to perch on her head, tired, and Blaziken was at her side, still full of the adrenaline of Mega Evolution and lifting her onto his shoulders, holding her up for all the crowd to see. Smile. She should probably start smiling.

But everything was so blurred and strange, and Blaziken had to walk her backstage so she wouldn't fall over her own feet. Dawn was there when she got there, and her only instinct was to hug her and hope that maybe, hopefully, she wasn't too crushed. Dawn ducked away, assuring her it was okay and to enjoy it, and slipped out the door to find some privacy somewhere. But May couldn't manage that yet, so she just sat on the bench, breathing deeply. Sitting made the box in her pocket dig into her stomach, but she didn't notice that right then. Pain wasn't a pressing issue.

A red rose appeared in her face what could have been moments, minutes, or hours later. There was no concept of time. But it woke her up, and she jerked her head up sharply, her jaw a little slack. Drew was smiling in that rare, fond way, and the blurring in her head began to clear.

"Congratulations, Top Coordinator" Drew greeted gently, and she took the rose with a small smile. "Of course, this isn't a rose for you. I can't congratulate you without congratulating your Pokémon, can I?" Beautifly trilled cheerfully, perching on his shoulder and soaking up his praise, so he patted her head gently, smiling at the pretty Pokémon.

"Why do I just feel… numb?" She ignored his sass. Her voice coming out strained like she was starting to lose it and it would soon be reduced to croaks. She hadn't realised how loudly she'd been giving orders. "Shouldn't this be where I scream and cry and… I mean, you have the emotional capacity of a wooden door but you were so happy when you won. You had this big smile, and you…"

"I do not have the emotional capacity of a wooden door" Drew snarked, folding his arms. "And you'll probably start crying soon. You're a big wimp, it'll all hit you at once and you'll be inconsolable." He rolled his eyes. "And then I'll be the one that has to deal with you. Such is life."

"The woes of being you" May murmured, rubbing a hand over her face. "Arceus. Did that really just happen?"

"You were terrifying" he told her bluntly, snorting a laugh. "Honestly. When you pulled out that combination with Beautifly and Glaceon, and used mirror coat so you could stack more attacks onto it?" Drew winced at the memory. "Brutal."

"I just got confused" May laughed hollowly, leaning on her hands. "I was confused and it made me upset that she'd managed to confuse me, so I just… I don't know. I shouldn't have put Glaceon at risk like that, but I think I knew she could handle it."

"She did" Drew nodded, wrinkling his nose. "Remind me not to confuse you. Although let's be honest, it's not hard."

"I thought you'd be nice to me after I won" May complained, not really following the conversation completely. "Shouldn't you be nice to me?"

"To be honest, I probably should be. Blaziken might beat me up, and the way he handled that Lopunny... that's not something I need in my life." Drew shrugged. "Come on, stand up."

"My legs are shaking" May told him monotonously, shaking her head. "I can't move yet." He paused, watching her for a moment, before smiling and kneeling in front of her, tucking a little stray hair that had fallen out of her bandana-turned-headband behind her ear. "Why am I shaking?"

You're running on fumes. You're not processing everything just yet." Drew grinned, amused. "You're being a wimp, basically."

"Stop being such a shit" May hissed, leaning her head against his shoulder, and he laughed openly. "What's it going to be like when I get out there?"

"I'm pretty sure you have a fan club waiting for you at the door" Drew drawled, pulling her upright. "But your family, and everyone you actually want to interact with, they're all waiting outside where there's actually some air. We just have to get through the lobby. A few people are going to start taking pictures of you, journalists and all of that. But that's fine, there'll just be some flashes and you've got to try and not look traumatised by this whole experience."

"I'm not traumatised!" May complained, letting him help her stand up. She had the rose tight in her hand, and he was laughing at her. She smiled. "You've not given me a rose in a long time. Not since we arrived in Johto."

"I gave you one in Sinnoh" he corrected, and she closed her eyes, nodding and smiling. "Max was the messenger, remember? At least he should have given you one."

"Abusing his hero worship of you, I remember" she laughed. Her head was still spinning, but he held onto one of her arms and Blaziken was there to hold the other, Beautifly perched on top of her head like a tiara. May smiled at them both. Her first Pokémon, and her partners. They deserved this win far more than she did. "Let's go find them all."

"Are you ready?" He asked gently, a little softer now they were headed for the door. She breathed in, holding it for a moment, and then let it all out at once. Softly, Drew cupped her cheek in one hand, letting her head rest on it as he rubbed his thumb across her cheek. "It's alright if you want to wait a little longer." He kissed her forehead gently, feeling her relax against him.

"I'm ready."

* * *

"Where are they?" Ash was impatient, pacing a little. "Honestly, you should have sent me in to get her, not Drew. I'd have actually gotten her out here in a decent amount of time. What is taking them so long?"

"I'm sure May is just a little emotional and it's taken them a while to get through the crowds," Solidad reasoned, hiding a smile. "Don't worry, they'll be out soon."

"Those crowds are super dense though," Kenny grumbled, a little sulky. When Dawn had come out he'd tried to console her, but she'd very quietly asked to just be alone for a while and taken herself away to the dorms, dialling furiously on her phone, hoping to get through to her mother. "It's pretty hyped up."

"Drew'll get her out," Max announced confidently, grinning bigger than any of them had ever seen before. Caroline and Norman shared an amused look, glancing at Max a little.

"Ah," Matthew spotted them first, but Harley was much louder in announcing it.

"There they are!" He cooed, pointing melodramatically to the figures appearing in the doorway, Blaziken pushing people apart, still in his mega form as he did, Beautifly soaring out above them and landing on Caroline's head, demanding praise. She offered it quickly, fussing the bug type. May looked completely pale, and Drew couldn't stop laughing at her slightly lost expression.

"May!" Ash was the first one there, picking her up and spinning her in the air. She squeaked, surprised, but let out a loud laugh as he cheered, pleased but all together much more comfortable when her feet found the ground again. She hugged him, feeling weak in the knees. Pikachu climbed onto her shoulder from atop Ash's head, nuzzling her cheek proudly. "May that was… the most amazing thing! You really did it, I just…" Ash trailed off, and Pikachu chirped in his stead, making May giggle as she reached to pet the small Pokémon. "You really did it, you know?"

"It hasn't quite… sunk in" May told him honestly, a little breathily. "But thank you! Thank you for everything you did for me, Ash." Pikachu crowed from her shoulder, and May laughed again, reaching to rub behind his ears. "And of course you too, Pikachu!" Satisfied, Pikachu jumped back to Ash, just in time for them to be pushed out of the way by Harley, who immediately blew up in front of her, dramatically hollering.

"Girlfriend got her title!" He squealed, grabbing her hands together in his and balancing himself back on one foot. "May, hon, you were fabulous! I couldn't believe my eyes, that little Litleo of yours is just as darling as she was back in Lilycove! It was nice to not be on the receiving end of it, I'll tell you that much!"

"She's a total star!" May agreed, far too used to Harley's antics by now to be disturbed. "Thank you, Harley!"

"Congratulations, May" Solidad echoed, her hand finding her shoulder while Harley kept his grip. "You really deserved that win. It was incredible."

"I…" May swallowed, feeling a little cluster of emotion starting to leak through. "That means a lot, Solidad. Thank you." There was a sincerity starting to grow in May's voice; something about having her three oldest rivals around her, with Ash just there next to her, suddenly made it all a little more real. "Wow, right?"

"Wow" Ash agreed, grinning. "Nnargh!" He was pushed over suddenly, Max's crutch pinning him to the floor a little as he hobbled over, breaking his way into the little cluster.

"May!" Max cheered, ignoring the complaints of Ash underfoot. "May that was the coolest battle ever! I thought Shinx and Litleo would be awful but they weren't, they were so great!"

"Max," May replied fondly, quietly, reaching for him.

"And- and Glaceon! And Azumarill, with those ice pillars!" He kept rambling, his eyes wide and animated as he relived the battle in his memories. May's hands found his shoulders, but he didn't stop.

"Max," May interrupted again, amused.

"And then Beautifly taking on that Blizzard! And using quiver dance to power up and dodge attacks at the same time!" Max continued, his eyes glazing over. "And Blaziken! Blaziken just tore everything up, it was so amazing! And you didn't even need to tell him to do anything, he just knew what you would want, it was so incredible, I couldn't believe my eyes, and-" May pulled him forward and smothered him in a big hug, shutting him up for a minute as he laughed shyly, a little embarrassed as his own ramblings, hugging his sister back. "It was so great. You were so great."

"Thanks, little brother" May sniffed, beginning to feel little pricks in her eyes, but she blinked them back determinedly. "You're the best." Ash surfaced next to them, annoyed.

"I disagree" he scowled, staring down Max. "You are not the best." Max raised a crutch threateningly.

"You wanna say that again?" He challenged, grinning big, and Ash immediately scuttled away, muttering under his breath darkly. May ignored them both, laughing. Matthew had been speaking quietly to Drew, but he looked up and offered her a wry smile.

"Congratulations, May" he told her sincerely, and she beamed. "Chaotic as ever."

"Well, what else?" May laughed harder, and Drew looked entirely confused, glancing between the two like he'd missed some important notice. "Thank you." Finally, she got the chance to break away from her cluster of friends and into her mother's arms, where Beautifly was cooing happily.

"Oh sweetheart," Caroline hummed, brushing her hair gently with her hand. "We're so proud. We always have been, but the way you battled today," she paused, swallowing a lump in her throat. "You made me want to call everyone in my phonebook and brag about my indestructible daughter."

"Thanks Mom" May mumbled, letting her hair hang over her eyes a little to hide them, wrapped tight around her mother's neck. "Thank you for supporting me. You always supported me no matter what and I don't thank you enough for that."

"You don't have to, honey" Caroline assured her, pulling back and pressing a hand to her face to dab at a few tears. "You never ever had to." The box in her pocket felt a little too present and a little too heavy, so as May pulled away, she slipped it into her hands and turned it over a few times, staring at it. Caroline recognised it, and gave a long sigh. "Oh May. You don't change, do you?" May swallowed thickly, finally beginning to cry.

"Dad?" May turned to Normal slowly, her eyes big and poignant. Norman looked at the box dutifully, his chest feeling tight. She gave it to him, and he opened it. There were eight badge slots, one for each of the Hoenn gyms, and they were all empty. "I can finally give this back to you, huh?" A few tears were catching along her jawline, dribbling across to her chin and then dripping onto her shoes.

"You... " His voice failed him, and the gravity of what she was saying hit him. "You kept it all this time. A stupid badge case."

"I didn't want to return it, until" she swallowed thickly "I knew I would never need it. And now I… I don't."

"I…" Norman looked trapped, like he was caught between elation and heartbreak. "You never needed it." May looked at him sharply, a few more tears tumbling along her cheeks, and he smiled, weak, and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her into his chest and wrapping his arms around her the tightest he ever had, feeling her dissolve into messy, loud sobs in his chest. "You never, ever needed it. I'm so, so fucking proud of you kid." Caroline looked like she wanted to chastise the language for a moment, but she decided against it. "And look at what you've accomplished. You've proven yourself to be not only a coordinator worthy of titles, but a battler worthy of the Elite Four without even skirting near the League. You're capable, and strong, and smart. When I think of the childish, and reliant girl who left home and the mature, independent woman you are now..." his voice trailed off, getting choked. "But ultimately, even if those things hadn't happened, I still would be as proud of you as I am now. Because you'd still be May, and that's the best compliment I can give. Any accolades on top of that are just embellishments on something that was already perfect." He pulled her back, squarely holding her head in place. "Are you finally listening to me?"

"Yes" she whispered, sniffing loudly. "Thanks, Dad."

* * *

 **The Grand Festival: Euphoria**

* * *

"I called my Mom," Dawn replied quietly, not looking at the screen. "That's why my phone was busy. She was telling me all the reasons it's okay that I lost this time and that I was going to take wherever I go next by storm. I'm not even sure if I have the heart to go anywhere else though. I feel like someone just stabbed me in the gut. Repeatedly."

"Dawn," Zoey replied in a low, soothing voice, her face flickering a little on the screen. "We all have losses. Granted, it sucks ass to lose in a Grand Festival, and especially in a final. But you've gotten through this before and you'll do it again."

"I suppose" Dawn replied dully, not really focusing. "I mean, no need to worry?"

"You know what, Dawn" Zoey cracked a smile. "For once, I actually agree. Your battle was immense. It was just May's time, that's all. But I would have lost against you, battling like that. Hell, I'm nervous for Johto, the thought of battling you is exciting and completely terrifying all at once."

"I…" Dawn floundered, blushing. "You really think I did well?"

"Dawn, your combinations…!" Zoey trailed off, pulling a flabbergasted face that made her giggle. "I mean, I was already freaking out about the discharge and aura sphere explosions you were throwing out there, but then Quilava and Piplup using flame charge and whirlpool together to take out those pillars… Dawn it was breath-taking." Dawn finally smiled, giggling a little, though it was thick with the threat of crying again. "Sweetheart, you were the best I've ever seen you."

"Thanks, Zoey" Dawn sniffed, a little tearful again. "I just… wish I could match your title."

"A title means you got lucky one day," Zoey told her fiercely, giving her a hard look. "It doesn't mean you're better than anyone else. Think about all the people with titles you've done so much better than this season. I mean, Solidad? She was like my inspiration all through Sinnoh days and you beat her!" Zoey was clearly a little envious. "I'll never get over it! I'm so jealous! And Drew, he won a title didn't he? He didn't make the finals. Hell, he got wiped out by Paul in the first round of the Wallace Cup, who you went on to walk all over in the finals." Dawn nodded mutely, choked up. "Don't for a second think this means you're not as good as a Top Coordinator Dawnie, because you're so much stronger than you give yourself credit for."

"I…" Dawn paused, breathing for a moment and looking away, her face a little flushed and a few tears leaking out. "Thank you. Thank you so much Zoey. First thing tomorrow, I'll head for Kanto, to come support you."

"That sounds so awesome, I'd love to see you" Zoey beamed, excited at the thought. "Heh, I'm sure Ursula will be excited to see you. She's planning on travelling in Johto next year too yaknow."

"Oh great," Dawn rolled her eyes, sarcastic. "I'm ecstatic."

"You look really pretty by the way," Zoey complimented sweetly, smiling, and Dawn looked down at herself, startled. The closing ceremonies were taking place soon, and she had bought a dress in the Slateport Markets in case she'd won, but it felt a shame to waste it. It was simple, blue and loose, with pretty printed patterns around the hems. "Nice look on you."

"Well, you are just full of nice things to say today aren't you?" Dawn joked, tucking some hair behind her ear. She knew Zoey wouldn't have long left, and confirming her suspicions, Zoey looked away from the screen anxiously, biting her lip. "You need to go, huh?"

"I got time" Zoey lied, but Dawn arched an eyebrow pointedly. "Okay, maybe my appeal is in like twenty minutes."

"Zoey!" Dawn gasped, scowling. "What are you doing talking to me? Go, go, go!"

"Alright, alright!" Zoey laughed, grinning toothily. "I'll see you soon though, yeah?"

"I'll be there as soon as I can!" Dawn promised, smiling back much more genuinely than she had at the start of the conversation. "No need to worry! Good luck!"

The screen went black and Dawn let out a long, weary breath, feeling a little more stable than she had before. But there was still this significant pain in her chest, like a knife had been slipped between her ribs, piercing her lungs a little more every time she breathed in. Gritting her teeth together, she ran a finger under each eye carefully, using the black reflection in the dead screen to make sure she hadn't smudged her make up. Turning on her heel, she grabbed her purse from on top of the video phone, which really had nothing in it but lip balm and her pokeballs. It was an open bar tonight for all the contestants and she was sure she'd be taking full advantage of that.

Almost everyone was busy getting ready. She was sure May's mother would have been fussing over hair at that very moment. Dawn sighed. It was a little lonely, losing like that. Deciding she'd take a walk around the block to clear her head, she headed for the exit, her heels clicking against the floor loudly, echoing in an empty room.

"Dawn." A gruff voice caught her off guard, and she spun on her heel, startled. Paul. He'd been stood somewhere behind her, waiting for her to be free of the phone clearly. Or something. She could never tell what Paul's intentions might be.

"H-How long have you been there?" She asked shakily, subconsciously running a hand through her hair. He shrugged.

"Are you going to tell me it's wrong to listen in on another person's phone call?" Paul asked her sarcastically, and Dawn blushed and shook her head.

"I didn't know if you remembered that." She looked down. "I guess I'm not."

"Wise," Paul snorted, approaching her stiffly. They stood opposite each other for a moment, and Dawn tried to figure out if she was supposed to say anything. "Well," he offered bluntly, looking away. "I came, didn't I?"

"I guess" Dawn frowned, looking down. "What does that mean?"

"You fought well" Paul told her in a reluctant, low voice.

"Thanks" Dawn replied politely, blinking. "But you didn't answer my question."

"You're strong" Paul offered instead, shrugging. Dawn closed her eyes for a moment, breathing slowly. "That's a good thing."

"Yes, but again," Dawn sighed, getting frustrated. "But you're not answering my question. I need you to…" she paused, thinking of her conversation with May the night before. "I need you to communicate this one, basic thing with me, so that I know you at the very least have the ability to talk to me."

"I'm not going to have some over the top," he began, grumpy, "melodramatic discussion of our feelings, Dawn."

"I don't want that" Dawn replied briskly, feeling a little on edge. "I just want you to tell me what it is you want from me."

"Well maybe I don't know" Paul shot back quickly, feeling suddenly very exposed. "You're strong, and I… admire that in you."

"But what is it that you want from me? Right now?" Dawn repeated, completely exasperated. "I need you to tell me what you were expecting when you came here."

"I thought you wanted me to come," Paul was confused, but it came out as anger. "You asked me to come."

"I asked you to come if you changed your mind, if, if you" her voice became a little weak and empty. "If you wanted to be with me."

"What does that even mean?" Paul snorted, looking away from her apprehensively. He looked cornered and out of his comfort zone, but Dawn was fed up.

"Whatever we wanted it to mean, I guess" she attempted, lamely. "It doesn't matter anymore. I don't think I can want this anymore. There's no point if you'll never actually talk to me."

"Why does it have to be about _talking_ " Paul groaned, rubbing his eyes. "What is it with you, and Ash, and talking about feelings and love and working together with your Pokémon, and acting like every day is a fucking children's film with happily ever afters. It's nauseating."

"Well then," Dawn sniffed, resolved. "I guess you won't have to deal with that anymore." Paul at the decency to look at least a little taken back. "I mean it. Whatever. We just… won't do whatever it is we were doing anymore."

"Arceus," Paul almost laughed, but it was marred by disbelief and that ever present scowl. "You're acting like we're breaking up and we were never dating."

"It felt like we were for a while though," Dawn replied, shrugging. "Didn't it?" Her words threw him for a second, and the tone of her voice was so soft and meek, he couldn't help but back down a little a shrug. She knew that was the closest she'd get to any kind of validation of their time together, so she gave him a forced, tight smile. "Goodbye, Paul." Beginning to walk away, she felt strangely calm. Like it had been the right course of action from the beginning, and she was surprised it had taken her so long. The doors were opening long before she reached them, and Ash's head popped through them, Pikachu grinning from atop his hat.

"Dawn!" Ash cheered, and Dawn felt herself relax. She always relaxed around Ash. "Man, I've been looking for you since the battle. You holding up okay?"

"Y-yeah" Dawn nodded, a little shakily, and Ash noticed the other presence in the room. His fist clenched, and a determined smile crept onto his face.

"Paul!" Ash greeted, his voice a little harder. "It's good to bump into you again."

"Hn" Paul looked away, not in the mood for his antics. "Whatever."

"Let's have a battle," Ash continued, unfazed. "For old time's sake."

"I'm on my way out," Paul told him stiffly. "I'm leaving for Ever Grande."

"So soon?" Ash's face fell, disappointed. "Don't you have time for one battle?" Pikachu made a low, pleading beg from Ash's head, putting his paws together. Paul grunted.

"Pathetic," he muttered. "As ever."

"The only person in here who I think is pathetic," a smug voice broke through their conversation, and Dawn turned to see Drew smirking, holding open the door from the dormitories he'd come from, already in his dress shirt for the ceremonies. "Is someone who'd turn down a battle."

"Personally, I'm more inclined to think someone who'd get knocked out the Wallace Cup so effortlessly by someone of a different trainer class," Paul retorted, raising an eyebrow, "is pathetic."

"Huh," Drew didn't seem to be baited by it. "I guess we disagree." Paul looked a little irked. "Dawn, I haven't seen you since the match. How are you?"

"Fine," Dawn assured him quickly, looking between the three men awkwardly. "I'm really doing fine."

"Good," Drew replied sincerely, walking across to her and putting a hand on her shoulder in a friendly, warm gesture. She was surprised, but reassured for it. "You battled very well. There were a few times when I thought you had her beat."

"Ah, well, May earned it." Dawn gave a shy laugh, still a little uncomfortable. Paul hardened.

"You know what, cabbage patch" Paul approached them, his arms folded. "How about you and I face off. One on one." Dawn was a little taken back, surprised.

"Sounds good," Drew closed his eyes, smiling to the side a little. "I've been meaning to settle the score."

"W-What?!" Ash whined, heartbroken. "But- but I challenged you first Paul!"

"I'll battle you later" Paul growled, bored of his whining.

"I thought you had a ferry to Ever Grande to catch" Dawn cut in quietly, and Paul scowled at her.

"I _lied_ " he drawled, shoving his hands into his pockets. "You ready now?"

"I'm always ready" Drew shrugged, slipping a Pokeball from his belt. They headed out in front of the building, Ash reluctantly taking on the role as judge, he stepped between them as they made space for the battle next to the building, the roar of Slateport traffic just a short way away. Dawn hovered awkwardly, not sure exactly what was happening, but held Pikachu dutifully as the battle started up. Paul sent out Torterra, and Drew sent out Roserade. They recognised each other, and acknowledged that with tension. Drew could almost see the toxins drip from Roserade's poison point in anticipation.

"This is a one on one battle between Paul of Veilstone, and Drew of La Rousse" Ash announced with a grin, eager to get swept up in another battle despite not being involved. "Battle start!"

"Torterra, stone edge" Paul started quickly, looking bored already. The ground started to break apart under Roserade as it shifted, but she held her ground, feeling the vibrations in the ground and dodging before rocks could pull up underneath her, evading tactically.

"Magical leaf," Drew countered, scowling. "Keep using magical leaf, and keep moving." Roserade was much faster than Torterra, and she could dart around the field without him getting too close to land a physical attack, which was clearly starting to irk Paul, especially as he couldn't shake those magical leaf attacks if he tried - they hit every time, with every leaf.

"Frenzy plant" Paul drawled. Drew knew what to expect after seeing May's Venusaur pull of the move a number of times, but as the thick, thorny vines fastened around Roserade with immense power, he began to panic a little. "Keep hold of it until it breaks."

"Paul…" Dawn murmured, saddened. It was almost a cruel command, and it made her heart sink a little. But it confirmed something in her, and she glanced at Ash, who shared her grimace and her reluctance to sit by. Drew was nearly snarling.

"Roserade," he called, flicking his hair back. "You know what to do." The small rose Pokémon shifted her position within her thorny confines, aiming her roses down, and let off a powerful solar beam straight into the floor, breaking apart the earth beneath them and propelling her skyward, away from the lethal greenery. Paul winced, reluctantly surprised. He hadn't expected that, and Drew could tell, suddenly smirking like he'd won the whole battle. It wasn't like Paul wanted to admit it, but he could respect the quick thinking.

"Torterra," he began to prepare his next move, but never got the chance to finish it. A furious groan cut their battle short, and a little way behind Paul, just having come from the Pokémon Dorms, the end to their battle stood with folded arms and a scowl, staring Drew down with a look made to kill.

"Drew Hayden!" Caroline stormed straight through the middle of them, straight past Paul and a baffled Torterra, not seeming to care she was disrupting the battle. Drew nearly jumped out of his skin. How long had she been stood there? "I am so not impressed."

"C-Caroline?" Drew stammered, completely taken back. "Is everything okay?"

"No, young man, it is not!" She scolded, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him away. "I just had to hold May's face still for a very long time to draw eyeliner on her, do you know how hard it is to make her sit still?" Her eyes flared. "Do you know how hard it is to make that girl sit still for even three seconds? But here, look at you! I finally get her presentable and now I have to fix you up as well! Look at this stain on your shirt!" She grabbed the hem of his dress shirt, pulling it out in front of him. Drew hadn't even noticed yet - he figured some earth had flown back from Torterra's frenzy plant and caught it.

"It's… not a big deal" Drew offered meekly, but Caroline grabbed his wrist and began to tug him away.

"You didn't even have it tucked in!" Her voice was a little shrill, and he recognised the tone from when May had been on the phone to Max, so he quickly knew he was fighting a losing battle. "We're going to have to take a damp sponge to this, no way in hell you're attending the ceremonies looking like this!" He sighed. It was easier to go along with it.

"We're finishing this another time," Drew assured Paul grouchily, allowing himself to be pulled away, Roserade following after closely in a mixture of hilarity and confusion, wandering after Caroline with her eyes wide with admiration for the fearless woman. Paul's hands dropped by his sides, baffled. He'd never seen anything like it.

"Well…" Ash wasn't sure what to say. The three of them watched as Caroline pulled Drew away by the collar of his shirt, her angry mutters still audible well after they rounded the corner. "I'm sure glad I'm not him right about now."

"Caroline is incredible" Dawn nodded along, awed. "I want to be her when I grow up."

"Hey Paul, now that your battle with Drew is over, maybe you could battle me instead!" Ash ran forward, eager, but Paul just clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, reluctant.

"I don't want to waste my time" Paul told him gruffly, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Dawn pursed her lips, bewildered.

"What, because battling Drew who you beat easily last time is less of a time waste than battling someone who's beaten you before?" Dawn's voice was a little harsh. "That doesn't sound like someone who wants to get stronger to me."

"What do you know?" He sent back dryly. "And more importantly, why should you care?"

"I don't" Dawn assured him, clicking her heels together. "I thought you were leaving?"

"I am" Paul snapped.

"Good." Dawn gave him a polite smile. "Have a pleasant trip!" Paul's eyes were slightly unfocused as he began to walk away, his shoulders hunched and tense and his strides were long and quick, purposeful in his exit. Dawn's facade crumbled a little, and her eyes fell, suddenly feeling desperately sad all over again. Ash watched the exchange quietly, looking between Paul's retreating figure and Dawn beginning to wrap her arms around herself, seemingly feeling very vulnerable and low without any immediate reason. Waiting until Paul was a good distance away, he turned to her, apprehensive.

"Dawn…" His voice was low. "Did something happen? Did you guys have a fight here in Hoenn? I know you never got on or anything in Sinnoh, but…"

"No, Ash." Dawn shook herself and turned to him with a gentle smile. "Nothing happened. We just bicker a lot. No… No need to worry!"

"That's when I worry the most!" Ash chimed, in a silly, sing song voice. Dawn gave a hollow sort of laugh. "Hey, wait. This actually is when I worry the most. Are you sure you're alright?" Dawn looked in the direction Paul had left in, hardening. Slowly, she let out a breath between clenched teeth, flexed her fingers out and then gave him a huge grin.

"Absolutely."

* * *

Hovering for a moment, it didn't take long for Marina to make up her mind. Instead of knocking, she ducked down neatly and slipped the envelope underneath the door. When she straightened up, she nodded to herself, pleased, and began to walk down the dorm corridors towards the lobby, her backpack feeling heavy at her back. Newbark Town was a long journey from Hoenn, but it would be worth it. She wondered if she'd bought too many gifts, or too many trinkets to take home to her old friends. Sadly, she landed on that little guilty nag in the back of her mind, reminding her maybe she needed them to make up for a long, long absence.

Signing out was quick and painless, and she was glad to think that she was getting out unnoticed. Everyone was so wrapped up in getting ready for the closing ceremonies that no one was in the lobby or in the Pokémon Center when she picked up her Pokémon. It was a clean getaway and she was glad for that, smoothing out her shirt as she began to head for the docks.

"Marina! Hold up!"

So much for the clean getaway.

"Kenny," Marina greeted wearily, a little perplexed by his sudden appearance. He was in his dress shirt, ready for the ceremonies. His hair had clearly been neatly combed at some point, but had become mussed from running after her. She sighed a little, smiling. "Are you alright?"

"You're not staying for the ceremonies" he stated. It wasn't a question. "Why?"

"I have somewhere to be" she told him loftily, suppressing a grin. "I'm sure ya'll will have fun without me. And I'll catch up with you at a contest some time."

"No you won't" Kenny told her brashly, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I quit."

"I'm not surprised." Her lips quirked up at the sides. "League battling?"

"It's about time, right?" He ventured, scuffing his shoe on the floor. "I wasn't built for contests."

"You were built for something." Marina assured him, feeling kinder than she had in years. "Don't panic."

"I won't" he nodded, smiling. "I hope you find what you're looking for. It was nice to find an equally tortured lonely soul and all, but, I'd much rather you were happy."

"Thank you," Marina blinked, blown away. "I appreciate that. I… I guess I'm working on it." Laughing a little, she shook her head, almost disbelieving of herself. "I guess you are too, huh?"

"I guess so" Kenny wrinkled his nose, looking up. "Take care, Marina."

"You too," she told him softly, reaching forward to squeeze his shoulder. There wasn't a great chance she'd see him again, not unless he stumbled across the very remote part of Johto she was planning on settling herself in. Violet City was her birthplace, but Newbark Town had been her home ever since she'd met her Totodile, Wani there, her first Pokémon. Together they'd caught Chumee, and then Little Miss, and Pink. Eventually, they went on and caught more. But they were who she started out with. She missed Wani sometimes. She'd used him in a contest or two early on, but he had hated them, so she'd left him with Jimmy who'd promised to care for him and battle with him often; he'd started specialising in breeding Pokémon, and had just bred this lovely Chikorita in beautiful condition, and he'd gifted her with the egg as a good luck for her travels. She'd promised to visit. Biting her lip, she began to walk towards the docks again. Finally, she could come through on her promise. Kenny waved her goodbye, and she waved back. She hoped he could be happy, too.

* * *

The closing ceremonies were emotional for a fair few people, and Drew could barely stomach it. Everyone seemed to be crying. Caroline and Max could barely stop howling long enough to breathe, passing each other tissues and wailing in the vague direction of the stage whenever the audience was required to clap. Norman was trying so hard to hide it, but when the camera turned to look at May's family and he looked up in surprise, there was very clear evidence of his red, puffy eyes and his wet cheeks. From the stage floor below, Drew sighed, staring at the screen in a mild disbelief. He pitied his father, sat next to Norman, looking extremely uncomfortable. It was a shame; up until that point of displaying gratuitous emotion they'd seemed to be getting along quite well. Dawn cried a few times for slightly different reasons, although she desperately tried to pretend she wasn't, rubbing her face anxiously and cautiously around her eyes, hoping to avoid smudging her eyeliner, repeating 'no need to worry' like some kind of chant. Eventually, he settled on patting her shoulder awkwardly but sympathetically. Somewhere between losing the festival and whatever the fallout had been with Paul, she'd hit a bit of a wall. Drew wasn't really sure how someone was supposed to fix a crying girl; with May it was a little easier because it was one he was more familiar with, but with Dawn it was like a machine that kept leaking and he wasn't sure where he'd left the manual, so he kept throwing rags at it to stem the flood instead of mending it. It was the best he could do until someone more qualified stepped in.

The only person he was somewhat accepting and comfortable with crying at that point was May when she was handed the ribbon cup by Contesta. She looked lovely; Caroline's grievances had paid off, her hair a mixture of ribbons and braids and tumbling locks either side of her face, with a full skirted pink dress with Beautifly wing detailing at the back. He wondered if he'd seen a picture of her wearing something similar on the wall in her room, but didn't dwell on it long. The crowds appreciated it, though, the chants of Princess louder than they'd ever been now that she was bundled in the dress to match. Dryly, he wondered if they'd just give her a tiara and be done with it. But she was spoiling Caroline's hard work, tearing up every time someone looked at her, her brain having finally caught up with the events that had taken place a few hours before. Ever since seeing Norman she'd been inconsolable; she was a shaky mess without the adrenalin that had been carrying her the past few days. There was the sign of a black smudge under her eye, and Drew noticed Dawn slyly signal to her to rub under her eye to catch it. May fixed it subtly, and grinned her thanks to the other girl. It was reassuring to see, Drew supposed. There were a lot of friendships that got torn apart for less than what had happened between them that day, but clearly they were both bigger than their rivalry.

The after party was noisy and overcrowded, as it always was. Everyone who had wanted to catch May knew to hover around the buffet, but before she would speak to anyone she had immediately fallen into Dawn's arms, both of them shrill with emotion and gushing about how well the other had done and left pretty quickly to make good on their promise to clear the air with their first dance, twirling each other childishly to some cliché synthesized pop track they both knew all the words to. Solidad was talking to Harley and Kenny, and Max was talking with his parents very intently, so Drew hung back around the bar with his father, watching the chaos unfolding around them as people abused the free alcohol and slowly began to slip into an intoxicated mess.

"So Unova?" Matthew prompted, ordering a neat brandy and raised an eyebrow at Drew, silently asking him if he wanted anything. Drew dismissed it with a flick of the wrist, but Matthew ordered another anyway. "When will you set off?"

"I'm not sure" Drew shrugged, suppressing a roll of the eyes as the bartender took out two wide, short glasses and filled them with a dense amber liquid. "We haven't decided."

"You won't want to leave it too long," Matthew advised reasonably, taking the glasses with a quiet thanks and passing one to his son. "Summer ends quicker over there than it does here."

"Summer ends quicker everywhere than it does in Hoenn," Drew scoffed. "In fact I'm pretty sure we're just trapped in perpetual summer, slowly boiling to our untimely demise." He took an experimental sip and found it strong to the point of overpowering and left a warm fuzzy sensation in his mouth. Wincing, he steeled himself so his father didn't pick up on his distaste, braving another sip. "Anyway, we'll probably book tickets in the next few weeks. I think May is a little over excited to do anything productive right now."

"She does seem a little overwhelmed" Matthew agreed, his lips quirking in a smile. They watched quietly for a moment as May was spinning around with Dawn like ten year olds, their hands clasped together as they leant backward rotating, creating their own g force as they span dangerously through the crowds, knocking people over carelessly in their hyper little spiral. "She really is…" Matthew paused, trying to find the right way of phrasing it. "... She really is something."

"That's one way of putting it," Drew snorted. "She's a complete head case."

"You'll never be bored," Matthew agreed, smirking a little, and Drew nodded, sighing to himself.

"I'll never have any peace," Drew corrected, leaning against the barside a little heavily. He took another sip. "Anyway. We'll figure things out when she calms down."

"Well, if you want to stop by La Rousse you're more than welcome," Matthew offered lightly. "Both of you. But equally, you're welcome to not and to carry on as you were." Drew paused, glancing at his father for a moment, and then looking across the room to where Max stood, talking excitably with his parents with his hands gesticulating wildly as he spoke, his glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose. He hesitated.

"Maybe" Drew conceded, pursing his lips tightly. "It'd be nice to come back for a while. And I think May likes the moving sidewalks; she gets excited over dumb gimmicks like that and I remember her mentioning them once." Matthew gave Drew a mildly surprised, but pleased sidelong glance, nodding along with him.

"I'm sure your grandparents would _love_ to meet her," he drawled, almost mockingly, and Drew coughed a little. Whatever May and Dawn were dancing to (if it could be called dancing) ended, and May immediately swanned off to find the buffet, and Dawn seemed to be making a beeline for them at the bar, her eyes focused on Drew that gave him a horrible sense of foreboding.

"I'm… sure." He muttered back, a little strained. "Arceus, what does she want now?"

"Not a fan?" Matthew quipped, getting comfortable. There was a look of awareness in his eyes that made Drew think he already knew exactly how Dawn could be, and it made his stomach plummet.

"Oi, grumpy!" Dawn called, suddenly very close to Drew's face. Her hands were planted firmly on her hips and her eyes were narrowed, suspicious and curious. "I have a bone to pick with you. Now."

"I'm thrilled" Drew deadpanned, glancing at his father in an exasperated, desperate cry for help. "Have you met my father Dawn?"

"Oh!" Immediately distracted, Dawn gave a cheerful, bright smile. "I think we briefly crossed paths back in Sinnoh! It's a pleasure to meet you again Mr Hayden!"

"I remember it vividly" Matthew had his lips pressed together tightly, trying to keep from laughing. "Please, don't let me deter you."

"Thank you!" Dawn chimed, still bright and airy. She flipped like a switch, straight back in Drew's personal space, and he groaned, a little bit more hateful towards his father than before. "You. You have something to explain."

"Do I?" Drew knitted his eyebrows together, nursing his temple with his fingers. Maybe he'd need the brandy after all. "Pray tell."

"Ash. Why did you invite Ash if you hate all joy in the world?" She pressed, pursing her lips. "Bar May, of course."

"I hate all joy in the world?" Drew sighed. "That's pushing it a little far, don't you think?"

"Don't avoid the question!" Dawn demanded, stomping her foot a little. "I've been trying to figure out why you'd invite him for days, and May was really cryptic when I asked her and she said it was something to do with me."

"Of course she did" Drew drawled, hating her a little bit too. "Look, Dawn, maybe you should just stick to talking to May about this kinda thing because she's the one that meddles in all this stuff, I'm an innocent bystander. Really. I just… I clearly don't know what I was thinking. I regret it immensely. Satisfied?"

"You don't regret it though" Dawn continued, her eyes still narrow and tightly trained on his expression. "You're just being an ass about it. You…" Her face changed suddenly, melting into a dreamy, touched smile and big watery eyes. "May told you about Paul. You did it to cheer me up, didn't you?"

"No." Drew backed away, startled. "Absolutely not."

"You…" Dawn sniffed, putting her hands over her face for a second. "You did it to be nice to me, you were being a good friend, and you-"

"Stop it!" Drew barked, flustered. "Get away from me immediately. "Stop thinking we're friends, immediately! Arceus can you just leave me alone already? I have had two years of putting up with your constant flow of irritating behaviour and I've had enough of it!" Matthew looked like he was about to have a hernia, slumped over the bar laughing in a way Drew had never seen before. There might have been tears in his eyes but he couldn't see.

"We're friends!" Dawn gushed, grabbing Drew's free hand and holding it in front of her face. "I'm so touched you'd go so out of your way to do a nice thing for me, Drew! Really!"

"Stop touching me!" Drew ordered, his face a little warm and his voice a little tight. He took another drink of his brandy, anything to distract from her presence. "Honestly; I can't handle you. I need you to leave me be." He was trying to reign in his very clear irritation in a vague attempt to dissuade her from continuing further. Over her shoulder, he could see May starting to approach the bar with Max, helping him hobble between people dancing in the crowds, and he knew he'd never hear the end of it if she caught on.

"Does that mean you won't come dance with me then?" Dawn pouted, folding her arms across her chest grouchily. "I've never seen you dance at one of these things, not even with May. You should come enjoy the party with me!"

"Absolutely not" Drew assured her sternly. Dawn's face puffed up, annoyed, and as May leant next to the bar next to them, smiling her greeting and looking a little baffled at Matthew's collapsed form, she turned to her with a flourish.

"May," Dawn began sulkily, "you need to retrain him or something." Matthew burst into a new round of hysterics. "Keep in him line or something, he's so rude!"

"You…" Drew's eyes flared wider and May turned pink, laughing awkwardly at Dawn. "You need to stop talking to people, Dawn!" His voice was tight and forced again, his embarrassment apparent from the crimson glowing in his ears. "You're just completely awful at all human interaction and you must be stopped. May can you… contain it or something? Keep her entertained and well away from me?"

"Nice to see you kids are getting along" May offered awkwardly, giving a tinkle of a laugh. Max looked at Dawn like she was his inspiration.

"You annoy him even more than I do!" Max breathed, spellbound. "You have to teach me!"

"It's very simply Max," Dawn grinned, suddenly eager again. She offered him her arm, and he took it, blushing a little as he grinned back. "Let's go to the buffet and I'll tell you all about it over some rice balls."

"You're my hero" Max sighed happily, letting her lead him away. May watched them leave, and turned back to Drew and Matthew with a bemused, but entertained grin. Drew groaned into his hands, and Matthew was only just about pulling himself upright.

"I was right," he chortled, his face red from laughing. "I really, really like her."

* * *

"I still can't believe I lost to the verdant wonder boy" Harley grumbled, taking a long, noisy sip of his cocktail. "He totally lucked out." Solidad and Kenny exchanged wary glances. They'd had the same rhythm of conversations a few times now.

"Dry up, sweet pea" Solidad told him bluntly, ruffling his hair a little. "You'll get'em next time."

"Besides, it's not surprising I guess, when you think about his genetics" Kenny added, nodding along. Solidad turned to him, her eyebrows rising further and further up her forehead. "His Mom is a member of the Johto Elite Four for goodness sake."

"No," Solidad replied briskly. "No she isn't."

"Yeah she is!" Kenny rolled his eyes. "Karen, the dark type specialist, right? I mean…" he trailed off, baffled by Harley and Solidad staring him down. "She… I mean, people were saying she was famous, and her name was Karen, and then…" Solidad blinked. "And she… but… I…." Kenny swallowed. "I've made a mistake, haven't I?"

"Hon," Harley put a hand on his shoulder, breathing in deeply, before knocking back the rest of his drink, swallowing noisily for the effect. "You need to learn to not talk anymore."

The party was starting to die down, and the majority of the remaining attendants were either staggering from alcohol intake or complaining of aching feet; Slateport knew how to meet an occasion with force. May was back to her default position, alongside Ash, the two of them working their way through the remainders of the dessert section of the buffet in perfect synchronization. Dawn was giving Max life lessons while he followed her obediently, hobbling after her as she strode around the party, adoring being adored. Norman had been drinking solidly with Wallace all evening, which had left Caroline to worry, and the two were holding each other up a little, their hiccups a little syncopated against each other. Matthew had long gone to bed; there was only so much of watching Drew get humiliated by his friends he could take, but Drew was very content with this, sitting with Caroline, far away from Wallace and Norman and much closer to the buffet, as she complained about her husband's drunken antics and he laughed politely in all of the appropriate places, but still, Caroline wanted to keep an eye on May and make sure she didn't make herself sick by overeating..

"Urrf…" Ash complained; the last bite of chocolate cake may have been a step too far. "I'm weak. I'm a failure. I can't go on any longer." Pikachu seemed to agree, flat out a little way up the table, his nose dimpled with frosting. He was swollen in the stomach, and fast asleep, snoring.

"Ash, you have to persevere" May encouraged, gripping his shoulder in solidarity, "We all come up against walls. You almost lost me by the brownie section, but what did you say to me?"

"Think of the end goal" Ash recited, his stomach bubbling unhappily. "Think of the sorbet the end."

"You can't have sorbet unless you've tried everything" May reminded him firmly, stuffing a whole cupcake into her mouth. "You can't back out on a rule that _you_ came up with." She spat a few crumbs out as she spoke, her voice muffled by the sponge cake.

"You're right," Ash nodded, pounding his fist on the table. "We can make it. We have to pull through. No buffet has ever bested us before, and it won't start now!"

"That's the spirit!" May cheered, and they each picked up an eclair, their next task, and toasted them to each other, knocking them together in the air before biting into them fiercely, cream squirting out the opposite end and down their fingers, sticky and sweet. Shamefully, they shared a look. "I'm done if you are."

"This was an especially big buffet" Ash agreed, and they both put their unfinished eclairs down with a sigh, collapsing into the floor in a heap. "I think we did okay, you know."

"Yeah, I mean, we only missed on like three things" May hummed, drowsy from alcohol and overeating. "What, like, we didn't have the sorbet and the oatcakes. Those are like…"

"They're like the dried fruits of desserts" Ash commented sagely, and May nodded along, understanding his meaning quickly. "We ate so many cookies though, and that is a victory in my books any day."

"Don't forget the shortbread" May dreamed, smiling to herself. "The ones topped with caramel and chocolate? Arceus I can still taste it. It was heavenly."

"The pair of you are ridiculous" Caroline called over, and Ash and May looked up from their slump on the floor. "Honestly. Maybe it's time everyone got to bed, I don't think either of you will move again."

"It's not like either of them are particularly productive people," Drew added smugly, quirking his lips into a grin. "If they could move, they'd probably just be making fools of themselves some other way."

"You're not very nice, Drew" Ash replied weakly, shaking his head from side to side. "You should work on that, as a person."

"I've been trying to tell him," May sighed, exasperated. "He never listens." Slowly and delicately, she pulled herself upright, wobbling to her feet, and offered Ash her hands. "Come on, lameo, time to get off your butt." Just as Ash began to whine and roll around the floor a little, reluctant to move, Max and Dawn made their appearance, hovering over his limp form.

"He's pretty dead, huh?" Dawn stated bluntly, nudging him with her foot. Ash moaned feebly in protest. "He ate too much?"

"Classic" Max snorted. "He'll be fine in like, five minutes, after he digests some of it."

"If you say so" Dawn sighed, shaking her head a little. "Come on, Ash. Up and at'em!" May and Dawn grabbed one of his hands each and pulled hard, neither feeling particularly positive about the situation as Ash slowly became upright and standing in front of them, his head lolling forward.

"I am defeated" he whined, leaning against Dawn pathetically. "Carry me back to my room."

"No." Dawn prodded him until he stood on his own. "You're a big boy now, you should act like it."

"Aw," Drew smiled vindictively from his table with Caroline, looking at Dawn intensely. "You two are so sweet together."

"W...What?" Dawn flushed pink, a little surprised. "What are you talking about?"  
"I need sleep." Ash was dragging out his words, long and deliberately, like a child who was preparing to throw a tantrum. "Now."

"Nothing, Dawn. I just think you're a nice pair." Drew's smile didn't falter, and May looked at him warningly.

"Drew, stop it" she chastised lightly. "This isn't the time."

"I was just thinking the other day, May," Drew's words may have been addressed to someone else, but his eyes never left Dawn. "About a really _cute_ couples thing we should do."  
"Don't say it" Dawn told him crossly.

"Like a high five sort of thing" he said brightly. "Or a… high touch? And maybe we should have a catchphrase, something like you would say there would be no need to be concerned, and I would infer that your saying that would make me more concerned…" his voice trailed off, mock thoughtful. "It would be a very coupley thing to do, I think. Do you reckon it's already taken?"

"Drew!" Dawn growled, marching over to him and slamming her hands on the table. He scratched the back of his head, nonchalant. "You say one more word, and I will never ever ever forgive you. Do you understand?"

"Of course I do," Drew blinked, smiling. "Deedee."

"Where is he?" Dawn turned on her heel, roaring. "Kenny? Where are you?!"

"I think he… just left" May offered meekly, her eyes wide. "Probably for the best."

"May, can you _please_ make him stop!" Dawn pleaded, rushing towards her bloated friend and grabbing at her shoulders desperately. "Please. I can't take any more of it."

"I have this vivid memory," May replied conversationally, knotting her hands together. "Of this coffee shop in Sinnoh? Anyway. I have nothing to add - ooh, except; Ash once told me this super cute story about a Plusle and Minun…"

"What was that?" Drew stood up and wandered over, his unnaturally polite smile beginning to wear on Dawn's sanity. "A Plusle and Minun you say? What delightful Pokémon! I'm sure it's a lovely story, I can't wait to hear it!"

"You can't be serious right now" Dawn whinged, her cheeks hot and scarlet. "Please stop, guys."

"Why, what's the matter, Dawn?" Drew put a hand over his chest, mockingly shocked. "You look so… grumpy, all of a sudden." He turned on his heel and promptly walked away, headed straight for the exit and giving himself a contained, private fist pump as he did.

"Drew!" Dawn screeched after him, her breathing erratic. "May. May you can't seriously be okay with this. You have to tell him off. You have to tell him that's not okay."

"Sorry, Dawn" May grinned stupidly, ruffling her hair. "I fell in love with a sassy, sassy man." Dawn's mouth was left a little agape as May swung past her, suddenly a lot more mobile now despite her impressive overeating. As the door to the main hall shut behind her, May could vaguely hear some laughter and some loud wailing that could have only come from a grumpy bluenette.

* * *

 **Tomorrow**

* * *

"Here" Drew sighed, dropping a yellow rucksack onto her bed pointedly. May jumped, surprised. She hadn't heard him come in. "You need a bag you can fit a coat into. Unova gets cold."

"I know that" May snapped, emptying out her fanny pack to transfer her belongings. "I mean, err, thanks. That's thoughtful of you."

"I know" Drew noted smugly, and May pulled a face. "Are you nearly done, though? I think your Dad wants to start driving."

"Dad always gets like this when we're driving somewhere" May scoffed, shaking her head. "Honestly. He always complains that me and Mom are never ready in time, and he'll sit out in the car twenty minutes before he said we actually need to leave, looking huffy and sighing a lot and pointedly looking at his watch. And because Max is a huuuuge suck up, he'll always be in the back of the car, sat like an angel, and nodding sympathetically so that Dad feels justified in being a grumpy ass all the way to wherever we're going and making little comments about making up for lost time." May flicked her hair back as she started to load up the rucksack. There was much more space, now. "And it's our own ferry he's driving to - he doesn't get to complain about us being late!"

"I do," Drew pointed out sagely. "But I think we have time. The boat doesn't leave for a good two hours. He just seems… on edge." He sat on her bed, watching her rummaging around as she got together everything she needed. "You're going to need a coat. I'm gonna keep reminding you because I know you'll forget."

"I won't forget" May told him crossly. Drew snorted.

"You definitely will" he replied brightly.

"Well, at least I didn't forget my sense of fashion" May retorted, sulky. "Still wearing the aqua pants. I'm so mad they came back."

"You're mad?" Drew rolled his eyes. "I'm the one who had to deal with you and my Dad discussing the highs and lows of my history in fashion for a whole weekend. And then you asking my Grandmother's opinion on aqua. She was so overwhelmingly confused; it's not nice to confuse the elderly, May. I don't think she's ever looked so upset."

"I didn't expect her to have aqua curtains!" May protested, her cheeks tinting pink. "They hate me, don't they?"

"I don't think it's physically possible for anyone to hate you" Drew grunted, folding his arms stiffly. "Many have tried, all have failed."

"I guess I am pretty great" she grinned, pausing. Drew felt his face quirk into a smile, picking up a stray piece of paper on her night stand.

"What's this…?" His question was redundant, as he was already reading, so May didn't bother to answer, focusing on her packing. "Huh. That's nice." He placed it back where he had taken it from - it was very short, sweet and simple, with pretty cursive writing. 'Thanks for helping reorder my priorities. From one Top Coordinator to another. M.'

"Marina," May clarified, if it wasn't obvious. "I'm not sure what I did. But I'm glad if she's a little happier than she was!" Drew laid back on the bed, his arms folded across his chest as he let his eyes fall closed.

"I'm sure she is," Drew agreed, quietly pleased. He listened as she faffed about a little more, gathering the last of her things.

"This bag is great," May chattered on good-naturedly, folding a spare set of clothes neatly. "I can fit so much into it! I've been living a sheltered life." Drew hummed in a positive response, a little pleased. May began to hover over him, grinning stupidly. "I'm done." Drew cracked open an eye, smiling. She looked happy. She looked excited. "Where are we gonna go first?" She dropped herself on the bed next to him, and he draped an arm around her shoulders lazily, accepting of the fact she was about to shuffle closer and rest her head on his chest and start playing with his fingers again. Some things just came with the territory.

"I don't know," Drew replied, a little baffled at the thought. "I guess… we'll dock in Castelia. I'll lock myself in a room for the first day while I purge all the stomach acid from my body, and then we can figure it out from there."

"I've been reading up on things to do, and asking Mom where we should go," May told him, rambling excitedly. "Nimbasa City has these amazing fashion shows and a huge amusement park with this world famous ferris wheel, and then there are all these huge awesome sports arenas where people are paid to bring you food in the stands, like they just walk around with it in case someone wants some!" Her eyes were shining at the thought. "They have nachos! And hot dogs!"

"And other, generic Unovian delicacies" Drew drawled. There was definitely a junk food culture in certain parts of Unova, which he wasn't thrilled about. "Alright. When we're done with Castelia, we can go to Nimbasa."

"Eee!" May kicked her feet a little, hiding her face in his shirt. "I'm so excited! I've never been out of Napaj before - and Asu is such an interesting continent! I mean, Castelia, with the skyscrapers and the big beautiful bridge and the restaurants and…." her voice trailed off a little, dreamy. "Apparently there are these super cool jazz bars or cafes or something, and you find them in these downtown alleyways outside of the regular pathways. There are just so many things I want to see!"

"I'm sure we can make time for it all" Drew assured her, a little smug. Rolling her eyes, she tilted her head up at him and kissed his cheek sweetly.

"Dawn told me about a battle tournament she entered while she was there" May told him brightly. "She really enjoyed it, and she gave me the details so we should go! It might be a good way to test out your battling a bit more. Oooh, and if we go to Opelucid City, someone Ash used to travel with, she's just been taken on as the Gym Leader's apprentice there, and Dawn says she's super nice, so we have to meet up with her! And if we're in Striaton City, we're gonna have to go to the gym, because there's a joint gym and cafe run by these three brothers, and one of them is called Cilan, and Ash travelled with him as well. I need to meet them both!"

"That's fine, May" Drew nodded, a little less enthusiastic. As far as he was concerned, the less interaction he had with Ash's previous companions, if Dawn was anything to go by, the better. "We can do all of these things."

"I'm so excited" May repeated, nestling a little closer to him. "It's gonna be perfect." She'd run out of things to talk about apparently, so they just lay in silence for a while, with Drew gently stroking May's hair under his thumb and May tracing up and down Drew's fingers with her own.

"Have you thought any more about it?" Drew asked quietly. May nodded, shivering.

"Maybe a little" she admitted. "It's kinda… overwhelming."

"I think you'd be good at it," he told her bluntly. "Your Pokémon are very powerful and you command them well. You're the poster girl for contests now with all this Princess of Hoenn stuff. You'd make a great ambassador for contests in the Elite Four."

"I guess" May paused, absorbing it. "It'd mean I'd have to take over the gym though. I'd have to be Petalburg Gym Leader when we got back. I'd… I'd never enter another contest again."

"Well, that's not entirely true" Drew paused, pursing his lips. "I don't think you'd be able to compete in a Grand Festival. But I imagine if you're being an ambassador for contests in the Elite Four, you'll do a lot of coordinating in a different contexts. Maybe you'd take over the Wallace Cup at some point, or even work as a judge in special contests. Maybe you'd do what Vivian does. The Elite Four would only mean working for one month out of the year at the Pokémon League, maybe you could be helping run the contests with the NPC at the same time. You're the Princess of Hoenn; I doubt Wallace would want that reputation to drop. It's part of the reason he wants you."

"I suppose." May didn't seem convinced, and she rolled onto her stomach. "Well… there's other stuff to think about. I mean, when we get back from Unova I know you want to keep competing. But I'm gonna be stuck in Hoenn if I take this on. I'm not gonna be able to compete against you anymore, or even be in the same region as you for long long periods of time" May mumbled, a little frustrated. "I mean, I know how few of my contests Dad was able to come watch. How could I even come and support you in a Grand Festival if I have to run a gym?"

"Don't not do this on my behalf" he told her quietly. She looked away from him, nervous. "We'd figure it out."

"I don't want to jeopardise anything" May grumbled, hiding her face again, but for slightly different reasons. Drew smiled and kissed the top of her head.

"You won't." He seemed pretty confident about it, so May took that as a good sign and nodded, groaning a little.

"Well," she pushed herself upright, bursting their bubble. "I don't need to decide yet, so I don't need to think about it right now."

"Sure" Drew agreed, pulling himself up as well. "It'll be fine, May." She let out a long breath, before nodding stiffly, not really looking at him. "I reckon on the ferry, we should look on the map and figure out exactly where we're supposed to go to get this ice cream stuff."

"Casteliacones!" May suddenly chirped, brightening. "I read about them in my guide book. They sell out suuuper fast, so we gotta get there quick, every day!"

"We'll go as soon as we can" Drew promised, stifling a small smile, before kissing her chastely in a vague attempt at reassurance. May's bedroom door creaked open, and Max peered in, looking suspicious. "Oh. Hey Max."

"Hey!" He looked a little relieved, and pushed the door all the way open. He was limping a little, but his leg was free from its cast and he wasn't using his crutches anymore, so he was quite pleased. He was very ready to go back to Johto to resume his challenge. "Dad wants to know if you guys are ready. He doesn't want to be late."

"We won't be late, oh my Mew" May sighed, shaking her head. "Alright, come on, let's go." Drew stood up before her, and helped her drag herself from the bed, making some snickering comment about how lazy she was. Scowling, she pulled on her new rucksack while Drew grabbed his own black messenger bag from by the door. It wasn't a long journey to Slateport, but sometimes the new overpass could get busy, she supposed.

They said goodbye to Max at the door, while Caroline and Norman waited in the car. May hugged him so tightly Max started complaining about potentially never breathing again, and May ignored him and just squeezed him tighter. She rambled on at him about safety when getting back to Johto and maybe getting hold of a flying type Pokémon that could carry him long distances in case something went wrong again, and he promised he'd take every precaution he could when he started travelling again. They agreed to have frequent catch ups when they were both in Pokémon Centers, and May's eyes were a little watery as she stepped back, smiling at him brightly. Drew reached forward with the intent of shaking Max's hand or clapping him on the shoulder or just some kind of farewell that didn't make his skin crawl when Max ignored it entirely and used the opportunity of the shift in his arms to go in for a hug, completely baffling Drew as Max reminded him from right next to his ear just how much of a weenie he was. May was laughing, because that seemed to be her only response to interaction between Drew and her family, and Drew just sort of groaned and awkwardly patted Max's back, waiting for him to let go.

The car ride was full of conversation. Caroline took it upon herself to remind May of every address of people she knew in Unova and where to go to find any old relatives, like her great aunt's family and legions of second cousins all living around Lentimas Town. While they drove through Slateport, May started rambling on about when she and Harley had gone to - ooh, that cinema over there! - and seen that horrific slasher film that made Norman look a little pale as he steeled himself to keep driving smoothly. Norman was a more pleasant conversationalist at this point, Drew found, simply focusing on driving or asking interested, calm questions, like which Pokémon they were taking along and where they were planning to go first. But of course, as soon as Nimbasa was mentioned Caroline was squealing and telling May she had to get lots of pictures of Elesa's fashion hall and go to one of the shows. She didn't seem to stop for breath, but May was just as keen, bubbling away about the infamous model stroke gym leader.

"Oh, and if you're going to visit Undella Town you should make sure you're there when it's hot, because it's such a beautiful place to be in the summer!" Caroline told them with a small sigh, sinking into her chair. "When I was teenager and my family came back to Unova for holidays we always made day trips from Lentimas over to Undella. And then Anville is such a lovely place, although it's quite remote. But if you go to the train station in Nimbasa, you can get on a speed train and spend the day there; it's just this lovely, quiet little town in the mountains, mostly used as a subway depot. When I was a little girl, they added this huge train museum and my father took me, and I learnt all about something to do with a run-one system, and steam trains and how they all once went all around the region and connected the region to other places, which they don't anymore. But musicians busk there and it's so peaceful and calm…" Caroline's eyes flickered a little. "It's gorgeous."

"That sounds nice, actually" Drew commented, his ears pricking up. May glanced at him, amused.

"Of course, you want to avoid all the fun things and go right for the remote mountain village where you can have minimal human interaction" she rolled her eyes. "I bet you just want to steer clear of the fashion shows because Elesa might spot your aqua pants and melt on sight."

"Sorry May, as much as you like to think you're getting better with the whole quick wit thing, I think it gets a little stale when you just mock my trousers repeatedly" Drew shot back, arching an eyebrow. "Did you stay up all night trying to think up funny ways to insult my clothes? Because it didn't work."

"You…" her face contorted a little, thinking. "Your hair is green!"

"What an astute observation" Drew sighed, flicking his hair a little. "I'm sure that keen eyesight will have helped you when picking up a coat, hm?"

"I…" May's jaw went a little slack and her eyes went a little wide. "How did I forget? You reminded me so many times, how on earth did I still forget?"

"I don't know May" Drew shook his head, trying not to laugh. "I don't think anyone knows. I think your mind works on a different system to the rest of the world."

"Well, I guess this just means we'll have to go shopping in Castelia City so I can get one!" May suddenly grinned. "I know just how much you love shopping with me!" Drew groaned, his head falling back against the headrest of the car seat, immediately regretting saying anything at all, vivid Goldenrod flashbacks plaguing his mind.

When they pulled up to the docks in Slateport, irritatingly early (May made a real point of giving her father a glare for good measure), they pulled into in a parking near the contest hall. It was early afternoon, and the peak of summer, so Slateport was bustling, full of tourists and kids rushing down past the markets, rushing to get to the beach. It wasn't a long walk between the Contest Hall and the port, so they made their way along, Norman and Caroline mostly following behind as May and Drew bickered, the former insisting he would have to accompany her on the quest to find the perfect coat and Drew informing her bluntly he did everything in his power to remind her to bring one, and that he was absolved of all responsibility, and she could go buy one while he slept off his sea sickness. May wasn't pleased; Drew didn't care. But the walk through Slateport was nice, and when they approached the big blue building that was the port, May seemed to forget the disagreement and burst into a run, excitable and keen to get going. The ship wouldn't be setting off for a good half an hour, but they'd start boarding soon.

"I guess we should probably say our goodbyes," Caroline smiled, standing by her daughter and reaching up to brush her hair a little. May nodded, beaming, and wrapped herself around her mother tightly, squeaking a little in her excitement. Caroline was just as giddy and squeezed back keenly, relishing in the feel of her daughter - Unova was a long way away. But May seemed happy and confident, so Caroline wasn't too worried. "You're coming back for Christmas, right?"

"Mm hmm!" May nodded, grinning. "Drew probably will as well, although I haven't told him that yet."

"Thanks for the update princess," Drew drawled, rolling his eyes. "Sure, why not?"

"Well, I guess we'll see you both around winter then!" Norman chuckled, slapping a hand to Drew's shoulder amicably and smiling. Drew nodded back, forever unsure as to how to respond to Norman. "When you come back this Christmas, let's have another battle. I'm keen to battle your Roserade again."

"Ah, sure" Drew replied obligingly. "That sounds great, I'm looking forward to it."

"As for you, idiot" Norman arched an eyebrow at May, who pouted a little at his mockingly annoyed tone. "Here." He unzipped his trademark red jacket, with all its black piping and well-worn warmth, and reluctantly shrugged it off. "Take this. So until you've got your coat you've got something for when it gets cooler at night." He threw it round her, a little grandly, and she giggled, wrapping it around herself. It smelt of home.

"Thanks Dad" she mumbled, throwing herself at him in a hug. He was a little thrown off by her sheer force, but regained his balance and laughed, stroking the back of her head.

"Take care of yourself, and keep in touch," he told her fondly. "And keep me updated as to your plans. I need to know if I'm looking at an early retirement."

"You wouldn't retire," May sulked, hiding her face.

"I know." Norman was laughing all of a sudden. "Like you could run a gym by yourself. You'd burn it to the ground in a week…"

"Da-ad!" While Norman and May said their farewells, Drew had turned to Caroline, and she gave him a genial smile, before rooting through her handbag and pulling out a flask.

"Here," she passed it to him, glancing at May suspiciously. "Don't let her near this; it's ginger tea and it's for you, for the journey. And, I think I put it…" she was moving things around again, frowning, before her face her face relaxed and she pulled out a little zip bag. "In here there are dissolvable aspirins, some motion sickness tablets, and these little wrist bands with little bumps in them. I never understood how they worked, but they helped Max when he was little and got car sick, so they might help!" Before he could protest, Caroline had grabbed his messenger bag from him and opened it up, putting the pouch inside and closing it tightly. "Don't even think about trying to give these back."

"I…" Drew paused, a little flustered. Caroline was smiling at him cheerfully and giving him back his back, pulling it over his head and dusting him down a little. He sighed for a moment, before admitting defeat, and smiling warmly. Looking across, May stifled a laugh. It was that same, unguarded smile she was so fond of - but she'd never imagined he'd surrender to her mother so completely. "Thank you, Caroline." Caroline herself seemed a little overwhelmed at his sudden gentle expression, and he surprised her even further by reaching across to hug her, which she returned after a beat of confusion.

"Have fun out there!" Caroline instructed him sternly, and he nodded, his ears pink. "Don't let her bully you."

"I am _not_ the bully here," May gasped, offended. "I'm the nice one!"

"Sure," Norman sniggered. "Whatever you say."

"This is an outrage!" May scowled, but was interrupted by a foghorn blaring out through the harbour and cutting her short. "Oh!" Her face brightened.

"Time to go." Drew nodded, turning his head back. May cackled, looping her arm around his.

"Did the foghorn tell you that?" She asked innocently, and he scowled, pushing her away.

"You see? Bully."

They gave their last goodbyes to an amused audience and headed off, waving as they boarded at and made their way up the ramps. Caroline pulled Norman forward a little so that they could see them. It took them a moment to spot them along the railings of the ship, but when they did, Caroline felt her face settle from slightly nervous excitement into a gentle, fond smile. May was stood on the railings, her hand atop her head to keep her headband in place in the wind, looking around anxiously to try and spot them, but couldn't seem to see them anywhere. Caroline tried to wave to catch her attention and called out a little, but her voice was swallowed before it could reach the deck of the ferry, and Norman put a hand on her shoulder to stop her from rushing forward to catch their eye.

"Let them go" Norman told her winningly, wrapping an arm around her. They watched as May stepped down from the railings, looking a little disappointed and huddling a little further into her father's jacket. But then suddenly Drew had an arm around her, and it looked like she was getting wound up by something he was saying, getting flushed in the face and shouting an upset, half-witted retort back at him. Caroline softened, leaning into her husband. They stayed still and quiet for a while, waiting for the moment the boat gave off another blare from the foghorns. When it came, they swore they could hear May laughing loudly as the ship pulled out of the harbour.


End file.
